Mainland Woman Jailed for 8 Weeks for Smuggling Duty-Not-Paid Cigarettes into Hong Kong

An incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes

An incoming Mainland female passenger was sentenced to 8 weeks' imprisonment by the Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (August 31) for possessing 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 48-year-old Mainland female passenger and her accompanying child at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point on August 29 and seized 1 581 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $7,900 and a duty potential of about $5,200, from the backpack carried by her accompanying child. The female passenger was subsequently arrested.

Customs welcomes the sentences, noting that even a first-time offender may still be imprisoned. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflect the seriousness of the offences. Members of the public should not defy the law.

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 passenger convicted and jailed for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Public rental housing resident sentenced to imprisonment for making false statement

A public rental housing (PRH) resident was suspected of contravening the Housing Ordinance for making a false statement by declaring that he did not own any property. He was convicted in Shatin Magistrates' Courts today (August 31) and sentenced to imprisonment, a spokesman for the Housing Department (HD) said today.

The PRH resident living in Wo Che Estate in Shatin declared in a 2025 Income and Assets Declaration Form that he did not have any domestic property in Hong Kong. Investigation by the HD revealed that he had a domestic property in Tai Po at the material time.

Having considered the gravity of the offence and the precious PRH resources involved, the PRH resident was sentenced to six-week imprisonment, to be served immediately. The HD will proceed to recover the subject PRH flat.

The HD reminded that, PRH residents and subsidised housing applicants should dutifully declare their income, assets, and properties, and accurately complete their Income and Assets Declaration Forms. PRH residents should also read the content and completion guidelines of the Declaration Forms carefully and compute their income and assets in accordance with the methods specified.

The HD will continue to adopt multipronged measures to combat the abuse of PRH in a comprehensive manner.

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