Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes
An incoming Vietnamese male passenger was sentenced to three months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (August 19) 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 Vietnamese male passenger, aged 35, at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (August 18) and seized 6 200 duty-not-paid cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $31,000 and a duty potential of about $20,500, 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.
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).
An incoming Vietnamese male passenger was sentenced to three months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (August 19) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance. Photo shows the duty-not-paid cigarettes seized. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
HKETO Jakarta holds seminar and business networking dinner in Colombo to promote Hong Kong-Sri Lanka trade and investment opportunities
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta (HKETO Jakarta) organised a seminar and business networking dinner themed "Bridging Markets: Unlocking Hong Kong-Sri Lanka Trade & Investment Opportunities" in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on August 19 to promote Hong Kong's role as an international trade and investment hub and a key functional platform for the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as to deepen bilateral relations. The event was co-organised by Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), with support from the Sri Lanka Export Development Board and the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka.
In her opening remarks, the Director-General of the HKETO Jakarta, Miss Libera Cheng, highlighted the long-term solid economic ties between Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. Bilateral trade in goods totalled US$520 million in 2025, while Hong Kong was Sri Lanka's eighth-largest source of foreign direct investment, contributing US$28 million. Hong Kong is also a leading regional centre for green and sustainable finance, making it a natural partner for Sri Lanka as the latter advances its own green economy priorities. She added that Hong Kong offers Sri Lankan enterprises unparalleled connections and professional support in accessing the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the wider Chinese Mainland, and other Asian markets.
Miss Cheng also introduced the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global, the one-stop platform that brings together Hong Kong's professional services and institutional strengths to assist Chinese Mainland companies' expansion into promising markets such as Sri Lanka, spanning infrastructure, manufacturing, green technology and other sectors. At the same time, the Economic and Trade Express platform co-ordinates HKETOs, InvestHK and the HKTDC to support Hong Kong small and medium-sized enterprises in tapping new overseas opportunities.
Representatives from InvestHK and the HKTDC elaborated on how Hong Kong's specialised platforms, trade fairs and business summits can assist Sri Lankan enterprises in expanding their operations internationally.
The event was attended by over 100 guests, including the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, Mr Mangala Wijesinghe; the President of the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka, Mr Anura Warnakulasooriya; the Director of South Asia and Thailand of the HKTDC, Ms Vian Cheung; and representatives from the local government and business sectors.
During her visit to Colombo, Miss Cheng paid courtesy calls on the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka, and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism; the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development; the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development; and the Ministry of Science and Technology. She also met with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka to introduce Hong Kong's latest developments and exchange views on business and investment opportunities in Sri Lanka.
HKETO Jakarta holds seminar and business networking dinner in Colombo to promote Hong Kong-Sri Lanka trade and investment opportunities Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
HKETO Jakarta holds seminar and business networking dinner in Colombo to promote Hong Kong-Sri Lanka trade and investment opportunities Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
HKETO Jakarta holds seminar and business networking dinner in Colombo to promote Hong Kong-Sri Lanka trade and investment opportunities Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
