Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes
An incoming female passenger was sentenced to three months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (October 7) 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 a 39-year-old Mainland female passenger arriving in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand, at Hong Kong International Airport on September 7 and seized about 11 600 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $52,000 and a duty potential of about $38,000, from her 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 female passenger was sentenced to three months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (October 7) 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
Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Scheme opens for applications
The Education Bureau (EDB) today (October 13) announced that the Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Scheme (HKSES) will, from today until December 31, be open for applications from eligible Hong Kong students who intend to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate studies at world-renowned universities outside Hong Kong starting from the 2027/28 academic year.
A spokesman for the EDB said, "As a merit-based scheme targeting the most outstanding Hong Kong students, the HKSES seeks to cultivate a cadre of brilliant young achievers with a sense of social responsibility and national identity, an affection for Hong Kong and an international perspective, who will return home after receiving a world-class education supported by the scholarship to enrich Hong Kong's talent pool and competitiveness in the long run. Selection will be based on candidates' academic achievements and other attributes such as leadership qualities and potential as well as their contributions and commitment to society. Awardees are required to complete their specific study programmes and undertake to return to Hong Kong upon graduation to work for at least two years or a period equivalent to the duration of the scholarship received, whichever is longer."
Awardees will receive a non-means-tested scholarship to cover their tuition fees, subject to a ceiling of $300,000 per annum. In addition, the HKSES will provide additional support to financially needy awardees during their studies. Awardees who have passed the means test will receive a bursary of up to $200,000 per student per annum to cover their living and study-related expenses. The value of the award will be correspondingly reduced if an awardee also receives other awards, both locally and abroad, or assistance to finance his or her same studies overseas.
Apart from the monetary support, the value of the HKSES also lies in its prestige and recognition as well as other non-monetary benefits. Awardees will receive a series of support and mentorship services to be rendered by the Government and other sectors of the community.
More details on the HKSES are available on the HKSES website (hkses.edb.gov.hk). Eligible students who intend to pursue their first year of undergraduate or postgraduate studies at world-renowned universities outside Hong Kong in the 2027/28 academic year (i.e. during the period from August 2027 to July 2028) may submit their applications for the scholarship online via the application system on the HKSES website on or before December 31, 2026, by 6pm. Late applications will not be accepted.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited by the EDB to attend interviews for the scholarship from April 2027 onwards after receiving unconditional offers from their chosen programmes. They will be notified of the results in due course after the interviews.
Source: AI-found images
