Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes
Two incoming passengers were respectively sentenced to four and eight months’ imprisonment and each fined $2,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (October 5) 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 54-year-old Mainland female passenger arriving in Hong Kong from Tokyo, Japan, at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) on April 14 and seized about 12 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $50,000 and a duty potential of about $40,000, from her personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested.
In addition, Customs officers intercepted an incoming 31-year-old Mainland male passenger arriving in Hong Kong from Tokyo, Japan, at HKIA on October 3 and seized a total of about 38 200 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $172,000 and a duty potential of about $126,000, from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested.
Customs welcomes the sentences. The custodial sentences have imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflect 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).
Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Two incoming passengers convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Matching session and kick-off ceremony of 14th Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music) held
Sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the Hong Kong Association of Interactive Marketing, the 14th Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music) held its matching session and kick-off ceremony today (October 5), promoting cross-sector collaboration among Hong Kong's advertising, film and television, and music industries.
Speaking at the kick-off ceremony, Assistant Commissioner for Cultural and Creative Industries Miss Yvonne Ip noted that since its launch, the scheme has facilitated collaboration between more than 340 advertising production companies and some 290 groups of singers, providing the local film and television, advertising, and music sectors with a valuable creation platform and hands-on opportunities. CCIDA will continue to actively foster cross-sector collaboration in the local creative industries, with a view to promoting the professionalism, industrialisation and internationalisation of the industries.
This year's scheme consists of two funding categories, namely the "Advertising Production Start-ups" and the "Professional Advertising Production Houses". The selected creative teams will receive production funding as well as professional training and mentoring opportunities to produce original microfilms. At the kick-off ceremony, 10 start-up advertising production companies under the category of "Advertising Production Start-ups" were paired with singers, while the five teams under the category of "Professional Advertising Production Houses" were formed by directors, scriptwriters, singers and advertising production companies individually. The microfilms will premiere online in January next year and will be showcased to the industry at the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART) in March next year.
Launched in 2013, the Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music) is a cross-sector collaboration initiative that brings together advertising and film production with music creation. It aims to enable local emerging directors and their creative teams to collaborate with local singers in producing original microfilms, thereby promoting the development of Hong Kong’s creative industry ecosystem.
For more information about the 14th Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music), please visit www.hkmfa.hk (Chinese only).
Matching session and kick-off ceremony of 14th Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music) held Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
