Passenger Sentenced to Seven-Month Imprisonment 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 female passenger was sentenced to seven months' imprisonment by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (October 20) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and importing alternative smoking products, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) and the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO).

Customs officers intercepted a 42-year-old incoming Mainland female passenger arriving in Hong Kong from Tokyo, Japan, via Taipei, at Hong Kong International Airport on August 16 and seized 61 200 duty-not-paid cigarettes and 7 600 alternative smoking products, with an estimated market value of about $298,000 and a duty potential of about $202,000, 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.

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 female passenger was sentenced to seven months' imprisonment by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (October 20) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and 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

1 155 nomination forms for Election Committee Subsector Ordinary Elections received by deadline

The nomination period for the 2026 Election Committee Subsector Ordinary Elections, which began on October 7, ended at 5pm today (October 20). The Returning Officers for the various subsectors received a total of 1 155 nomination forms by the close of nominations, of which 1 115 were nomination forms for candidates and 40 were nomination forms from designated bodies.

The breakdown of candidate nomination forms received by each subsector is set out below:

First Sector
Subsector	No. of nomination forms for candidates received today	Cumulative total
Catering	0	17
Commercial (first)	0	19
Commercial (second)	0	19
Commercial (third)	0	21
Employers' Federation of Hong Kong	0	18
Finance	0	20
Financial services	0	20
Hotel	0	18
Import and export	0	19
Industrial (first)	0	20
Industrial (second)	0	20
Insurance	0	20
Real estate and construction	0	19
Small and medium enterprises	0	17
Textiles and garment	0	19
Tourism	0	20
Transport	0	20
Wholesale and retail	0	19
Second Sector
Subsector	No. of nomination forms for candidates received today	Cumulative total
Accountancy	0	17
Architectural, surveying, planning and landscape	0	18
Chinese medicine	0	19
Education	0	14
Engineering	0	17
Legal	0	16
Medical and health services	0	23
Social welfare	0	25
Sports, performing arts, culture and publication	0	15
Technology and innovation	0	18
Third Sector
Subsector	No. of nomination forms for candidates received today	Cumulative total
Agriculture and fisheries	0	72
Associations of Chinese fellow townsmen	0	60
Grassroots associations	0	75
Labour	0	60
Fourth Sector
Subsector	No. of nomination forms for candidates received today	Cumulative total
Heung Yee Kuk	0	30
Representatives of members of Area Committees, District Fight Crime Committees, and District Fire Safety Committees of Hong Kong and Kowloon	0	88
Representatives of members of Area Committees, District Fight Crime Committees, and District Fire Safety Committees of the New Territories	0	93
Fifth Sector
Subsector	No. of nomination forms for candidates received today	Cumulative total
Representatives of Hong Kong members of relevant national organisations	0	110
Total:	0	1 115

Besides, the breakdown of nomination forms received from designated bodies by each subsector is set out below:

Accountancy
Designated body	No. of nomination forms received from designated bodies today	Cumulative total
Association of Hong Kong Accounting Advisors Limited	0	1 (15 nominees in total)
Chinese medicine
Designated body	No. of nomination forms received from designated bodies today	Cumulative total
WFCMS (Hong Kong) Council Members Association Limited	0	1 (15 nominees in total)
Legal
Designated body	No. of nomination forms received from designated bodies today	Cumulative total
China Law Society's HK Council Members Association	0	1 (9 nominees in total)
Sports, performing arts, culture and publication
Designated body	No. of nomination forms received from designated bodies today	Cumulative total
Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China	0	1 (3 nominees in total)
China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Hong Kong Member Association Limited	0	1 (9 nominees in total)
Hong Kong Publishing Federation Limited	0	1 (3 nominees in total)
Technology and innovation
Designated body	No. of nomination forms received from designated bodies today	Cumulative total
The Greater Bay Area Association of Academicians	0	1 (15 nominees in total)
Religious
Designated body	No. of nomination forms received from designated bodies today	Cumulative total
Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong	0	1 (13 nominees in total)
Chinese Muslim Cultural and Fraternal Association	0	1 (10 nominees in total)
Hong Kong Christian Council	0	1 (12 nominees in total)
The Hong Kong Taoist Association	0	1 (10 nominees in total)
The Confucian Academy	0	1 (10 nominees in total)
The Hong Kong Buddhist Association	0	1 (10 nominees in total)
Representatives of associations of Hong Kong residents in the Mainland
Designated body	No. of nomination forms received from designated bodies today	Cumulative total
Mainland China (Shenzhen) Consultant Services Centre, The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Mainland China (Guangzhou) Consultant Services Centre, The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Mainland China (Dongguan) Consultant Services Centre, The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Mainland China (Zhongshan) Consultant Services Centre, The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Mainland China (Huizhou) Consultant Services Centre, The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Mainland China (Fujian, Xiamen) Consultant Services Centre, The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Tianjin	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Shanghai	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Zhejiang	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Guangdong	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Fujian	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Guangxi	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Sichuan	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Wuhan	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Liaoning	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China—Shandong	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Hong Kong Professionals (Beijing) Association	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Shanghai Hong Kong Association	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Guangzhou Tianhe Hong Kong and Macau Youth Association	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Hong Kong Association of China Business	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce, Qianhai, Shenzhen	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Hong Kong and Macau Entrepreneurs Branch, Chongqing Overseas Association	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Fujian Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Hong Kong and Macao Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Federation in Zhongkai Huizhou	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
The Hong Kong Fellowship in Huadu Guangzhou	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
The Hong Kong Fellowship in Chancheng Foshan	0	1 (1 nominee in total)
Total:	0	40 (161 nominees in total)

Particulars of the nominations have been uploaded to the election website (www.elections.gov.hk).

The Returning Officers will determine the order of names of candidates for their respective subsectors to appear on ballot papers and the allocation of the designated spots for the display of election advertisements by drawing of lots at the Civil Aid Service Headquarters and the Kwun Tong office of the Registration and Electoral Office on October 29 (Thursday). The Candidate Eligibility Review Committee will, within 14 days after the close of nominations, publish in the Gazette a notice of validly nominated candidates. If there is a contested election for a subsector, a poll for that subsector will be held on November 22, and the candidate numbers for the candidates concerned to be printed on ballot papers will also be published in the Gazette notice.

The Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC) will hold a briefing session for candidates at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium on November 3 (Tuesday). The Chairman of the EAC, Mr Justice David Lok, will chair the briefing session and brief candidates on the guidelines on election-related activities and important points to note in running their election campaigns. A representative from the Independent Commission Against Corruption will explain the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance. A representative from the Hongkong Post will explain the arrangements and requirements of the free postage service for election mail. Representatives from the Registration and Electoral Office and the Department of Justice will also be present.

Source: AI-found images