Man Convicted and Jailed for Importing Duty-Not-Paid Cigarettes and Alternative Smoking Products into Hong Kong

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

An incoming male passenger was sentenced to ten months' imprisonment and fined $2,000 at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (August 21) 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 a 60-year-old incoming Mainland male passenger at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (August 20) and seized 30 500 duty-not-paid cigarettes and 25 000 alternative smoking products, with an estimated market value of about $212,000 and a duty potential of about $101,000 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 deals with, possesses, sells or buys duty-not-paid 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).

An incoming male passenger was sentenced to ten months' imprisonment and fined $2,000 at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (August 21) 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 and the Import and Export Ordinance. Photo shows the duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products seized. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Import of poultry meat and products from areas in Korea and US suspended

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 9) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N9 avian influenza in Yeoncheon-gun of Gyeonggi-do Province in Korea, and outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in areas in the United States (US), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the relevant areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

The relevant areas are as follows:

Korea

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Gyeonggi-do Province

(1) Yeoncheon-gun

US

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State of North Dakota

(2) Dickey County

State of Minnesota

(3) Roseau County

State of Nebraska

(4) Cedar County

State of Kansas

(5) Greeley County

State of South Dakota

(6) Hanson County

State of Illinois

(7) Clinton County

A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 80 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 11.48 million poultry eggs from Korea, and about 33 270 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 92.33 million poultry eggs from the US in the first nine months of this year.

"The CFS has contacted the Korean and American authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

Source: AI-found images