Woman Convicted of Importing HK$320,000 in Duty-Unpaid Cigarettes, Sentenced to Jail

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes

An incoming female passenger was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment and fined $2,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (October 30) 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 the incoming 27-year-old Mainland female passenger arriving in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand, at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (October 29) and seized a total of about 71 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $320,000 and a duty potential of about $240,000 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 duty-not-paid 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 nine months' imprisonment and fined $2,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (October 30) 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

HKICL alerts public of fraudulent websites

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

Hong Kong Interbank Clearing Limited (HKICL) has recently noted two fraudulent websites purported to be from HKICL:

• fpshktk.sbs
• tknewfps.cc

These fraudulent websites imitate as "Buyer Online Protection" to provide services including 1) refund to buyer, 2) unauthorised online transaction reporting, and 3) online transaction support, for online transaction over FPS payment. In addition, they also trick users into providing bank name, bank account number and bank account holder's name to top up and withdraw money from their platforms' virtual wallet. Further, they direct users to a fraudster impersonating as customer service personnel.

HKICL advises that these fraudulent websites have no affiliation with HKICL, or any business of HKICL. HKICL will not directly provide FPS service to individual members of the public or contact individual members of the public proactively under usual circumstance. The genuine official website addresses of HKICL are www.hkicl.com.hk and fps.hkicl.com.hk.

HKICL urges the public to beware of suspicious calls, websites or other communications, and to remain vigilant in protecting personal information. If members of the public receive any suspicious communication purportedly from HKICL, please call HKICL's general line at 2533 1111 to verify. Members of the public who suspect that theyhave become the victim of fraudulent acts should report promptly to the Police.

Source: AI-found images