Chinese man sentenced for importing $145,000 worth of duty-not-paid cigarettes and smoking products in Hong Kong.

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products

An incoming Chinese man was sentenced to six months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (June 17) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes, failing to declare them to Customs officers, as well as importing alternative smoking products, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) and the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO).

Customs officers intercepted an incoming 27-year-old Chinese male passenger at Hong Kong International Airport on May 8 and seized about 8 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes and 37 400 alternative smoking products, with an estimated market value of about $145,000 and a duty potential of about $26,400 from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested.

Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.

Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Under the IEO, any person who imports an alternative smoking product into Hong Kong commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected dried fins of scheduled guitarfishes worth about $500,000

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (June 16) seized about 240 kilograms of suspected dried fins of scheduled guitarfishes, with an estimated market value of about $500,000, at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound.

Through risk assessment, Customs officers yesterday selected two seaborne containers, arriving from Yemen to Hong Kong, for inspection. Officers respectively seized about 20kg and 220kg of suspected dried fins of scheduled guitarfishes.

The case was handed over to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for follow-up action.

Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586), any person found guilty of importing, exporting, or possessing specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance commits an offence and will be liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years upon conviction with the specimens forfeited.

Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected dried fins of scheduled guitarfishes worth about $500,000 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected dried fins of scheduled guitarfishes worth about $500,000 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases