Two Passengers Sentenced to Two Months for Smuggling Duty-Not-Paid Cigarettes.

Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes

Two incoming passengers were each sentenced to two months' imprisonment by the Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (June 18) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

Customs officers intercepted an incoming 43-year-old local female passenger and an incoming 69-year-old Chinese female passenger at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point on January 5 and seized 1 200 duty-not-paid cigarettes from their baby stroller, with an estimated market value of about $6,500 and a duty potential of about $3,900. Both passengers were 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.

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).

Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Home Affairs Department alerts public to attempted impersonations of Care Teams

A spokesman for the Home Affairs Department (HAD) today (June 18) alerted members of the public to beware of attempted impersonations of District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams) for fraudulent purposes.

The HAD has recently been informed by an individual sub-district Care Team that some residents were visited by persons who claimed to be Care Team members, distributing blessing bags to an elderly person and requesting the elderly to sign unknown papers.

The spokesman reminded members of the public that they should remain vigilant when any request for visit by unknown persons, as well as unidentified calls or messages are received. If in doubt about the identity of the callers or visitors, please call 182 111 to verify the identity of Care Team members and volunteers, and obtain the Care Teams' contact information. In case of suspicious circumstances, please call the 24-hour Anti-Scam Helpline 18222.

Members and volunteers of Care Teams will wear Care Team uniforms and display Care Team member or volunteer Certificates of Identity for identification when providing caring services. Members of the public may visit the dedicated webpage on members of Sub-district Care Teams (www.had.gov.hk/en/public_services/district_services_community_care_teams/subdistrictcareteams.htm) for the information of Care Team members and the contact information of their operating organisations.

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