Two Women Jailed for Importing Duty-Not-Paid Cigars Worth About $3.9 Million into Hong Kong

Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigars

Two incoming female passengers were each sentenced to six months' imprisonment and fined $2,000 at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (September 21) for importing duty-not-paid cigars and failing to declare them to Customs Officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

Customs officers intercepted two Spanish female passengers, one 31 years old and the other 28 years old, arriving in Hong Kong from Cuba via Panama and the Netherlands, at Hong Kong International Airport on September 18 and seized about 55 kilogramsof duty-not-paid cigars, with an estimated market value of about $3.9 million and a duty potential of about $230,000 from their personal baggage. The two passengers were 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, cigars are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigars 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).

Two incoming female passengers were each sentenced to six months' imprisonment and fined $2,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (September 21) for importing duty-not-paid cigars and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance. Photo shows the duty-not-paid cigars seized from the personal baggage of an incoming 28-year-old female passenger. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Two incoming female passengers were each sentenced to six months' imprisonment and fined $2,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (September 21) for importing duty-not-paid cigars and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance. Photo shows the duty-not-paid cigars seized from the personal baggage of an incoming 31-year-old female passenger. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CFS urges public not to consume batch of imported ready-to-eat turkey meat product due to possible temperature abuse

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (October 21) urged the public not to consume a batch of ready-to-eat turkey meat product imported from the United States (US) due to possible temperature abuse during storage. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected batch of the product immediately if they possess it.

Product details are as follows:

Product name: Oil Braised Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

Brand: Mckenzie

Place of origin: US

Batch number: 26175

Best before date: September 7, 2027

Importer: Etak International Limited

"The CFS, through its Food Incident Surveillance System, noted a notification from the US authorities that the above-mentioned product is being recalled as it might have undergone possible temperature abuse during storage. Upon learning of the incident, the CFS immediately contacted local importers and retailers to follow up. A preliminary investigation found that the above-mentioned importer had imported into Hong Kong the affected batch of the product concerned," a spokesman for the CFS said.

The importer concerned has stopped sales, removed from shelves the affected batch of the product, and initiated a recall according to the CFS’s instructions. Members of the public may call the importer's hotline at 2526 2371 during office hours for enquiries about the recall.

"If meat and poultry products are subjected to temperature abuse during storage, this can facilitate the growth of foodborne pathogens or lead to spoilage. Infected individuals with foodborne pathogens may experience symptoms such as fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhoea. However, severe complications may occur in newborns, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals," the spokesman added.

The spokesman advised members of the public to stop consuming the affected batch of the product and seek medical treatment as soon as possible if they feel unwell after consuming the product concerned.

The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health. The investigation is ongoing.

Source: AI-found images