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
Joint operation by Hong Kong Customs and law enforcement agencies of Chinese Mainland detect seaborne illicit cigarette smuggling case with seizure worth about $22 million
Hong Kong Customs and law enforcement agencies of the Chinese Mainland mounted a joint anti-smuggling operation yesterday (September 8) and detected a suspected smuggling case involving a high-powered speedboat in the northwest waters of Hong Kong. About 5 million suspected illicit cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $22 million and a duty potential of about $16.5 million, and a high-powered speedboat equipped with six outboard engines, were seized.
Based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis, Customs co-operated with the law enforcement agencies of the Chinese Mainland, including the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department and anti-smuggling departments of the Mainland Customs to conduct an anti-smuggling operation in the aforementioned waters yesterday. During the operation, in the waters off northwest of Chep Lap Kok, a suspicious speed boat was spotted heading towards Sha Chau with its navigation light off. Customs officers immediately took action to pursue and intercept the speedboat, but the speedboat accelerated and fled.
Later, Customs boardedthe speedboat and stopped the vessel for investigation. The speedboat was discovered to be equipped with six powerful outboard engines, and the batch of suspected illicit cigarettes was seized onboard the vessel. Two mainland men, aged 30 and 36, suspected of violating the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO), were arrested.
Under the DCO, anyone involved in importing, dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit motor spirit or cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and two years' imprisonment for motor spirit, or $2 million and seven years' imprisonment for cigarette.
Members of the public may report any illicit fuel or 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).
Joint operation by Hong Kong Customs and law enforcement agencies of Chinese Mainland detect seaborne illicit cigarette smuggling case with seizure worth about $22 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Joint operation by Hong Kong Customs and law enforcement agencies of Chinese Mainland detect seaborne illicit cigarette smuggling case with seizure worth about $22 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
