Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products
An incoming Chinese female passenger was sentenced to seven months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (June 25) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes, failing to declare them to Customs officers, as well as importing alternative smoking products (ASPs), in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) and the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO).
Customs officers intercepted an incoming 40-year-old Chinese female passenger at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (June 24) and seized about 39 900 duty-not-paid cigarettes and 10 800 ASPs, with a total estimated market value of about $212,000 and a duty potential of about $132,000 from her 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, tobacco products are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who deals with, possesses, sells or buys duty-not-paid tobacco 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
Two owners fined over $140,000 in total for not complying with removal orders
Two owners were convicted and fined $146,655 in total at the Magistrates' Courts yesterday (June 24) for failing to comply with removal orders issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).
The first case involved a fence wall and a structure erected at the rear garden of a village house in Tai Che, Sha Tin. Since the Lands Department would not issue a certificate of exemption for the unauthorised building works (UBWs) and the UBWs were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), a removal order was served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO.
Failing to comply with the removal order, the owner had been prosecuted by the BD and was fined a total of $59,120 upon conviction by the court. As the owner persisted in not complying with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted for the second time and was fined $78,200 in total, of which $43,200 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued upon conviction at the Shatin Magistrates' Courts.
The second case involved an addition of two unauthorised structures on the roof and an approved canopy, and the enclosure of an approved drying shelter on a roof for subdivision into four units at a composite building on Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po. As the UBWs were carried out without prior approval and consent from the BD, a removal order was served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO. Failing to comply with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted by the BD and was fined $68,455 in total, of which $58,455 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued upon conviction at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts.
A spokesman for the BD said today (June 25), "UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take stringent enforcement action and instigate prosecutions against owners again if they persist in not complying with removal orders to ensure building and public safety."
Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year's imprisonment, and a further fine of up to $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.
Source: AI-found images
