Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes
An incoming female passenger was sentenced to four months' imprisonment and fined $2,000 at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (November 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 44-year-old Mainland female passenger arriving in Hong Kong from Tokyo, Japan, at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (November 6) and seized about 26,800 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $134,000 and a duty potential of about $88,600 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 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).
Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong Customs detects two drug trafficking cases involving incoming passengers at airport
Hong Kong Customs yesterday (November 6) and today (November 7) detected two drug trafficking cases involving incoming passengers at Hong Kong International Airport, and seized a total of about 4.5 kilograms of suspected liquid cocaine and 15.4 kilograms of suspected ketamine, with a total estimated market value of about $9 million. A man and a woman were arrested.
In the first case, a Spanish male passenger, aged 36, arrived in Hong Kong from Madrid, Spain, via Seoul, South Korea, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found the batch of suspected liquid cocaine, concealed in three wine bottles, inside his check-in baggage. He was subsequently arrested.
In the second case, a British female passenger, aged 44, arrived in Hong Kong from Frankfurt, Germany, today. During Customs clearance, Customs officers found the batch of suspected ketamine inside her check-in baggage. She was subsequently arrested.
The arrested man in the first case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on November 9. The investigation of the second case is ongoing.
Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.
Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking 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).
Hong Kong Customs detects two drug trafficking cases involving incoming passengers at airport Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong Customs detects two drug trafficking cases involving incoming passengers at airport Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
