Customs has made the largest seizure of illicit cigarettes at the Air Mail Centre for the year in a special operation from April 22 to May 5, 2008 to step up inspection of airmail parcels.

During the operation, Customs officers of the Airport Command and the Revenue and General Investigation Bureau seized a total of 0.95 million sticks of illicit cigarettes, worth $1.5 million and with a duty potential of $0.77 million. They also arrested three local people, aged 19 to 35.

At first, the Air Cargo (Import) Division of the Airport Command seized from 65 airmail parcels destined for the United Kingdom 0.42 million sticks of illicit cigarettes. The cigarettes were worth $0.63 million and with a duty potential of $0.34 million.

In follow-up investigations, the Revenue and General Investigation Bureau seized a further 0.53 million sticks of illicit cigarettes from a unit of storage in Sheung Wan and arrested two men and a woman. The seized cigarettes were worth $0.87 million and with a duty potential of $0.43 million.

¡§Hong Kong Customs has been working closely with the Hongkong Post to deter smuggling activities through airmail. Our officers make use of advanced technologies, such as X-ray machine and ion scanner to inspect inbound and outbound airmails. For effective law enforcement, Customs also maintains constant intelligence exchange with its overseas counterparts,¡¨ the Divisional Commander (Air Cargo (Import)) 1, Mr Wong Hung-san, said today (May 8).

Customs has stationed officers round-the-clock at the Air Mail Centre to interdict smuggling through airmail.

Mr Wong reminded members of the public not to use airmail for illicit purposes as they will be caught and prosecuted.

From January to now, Customs officers have cracked a total of 47 cases at the Air Mail Centre, including 20 illicit cigarettes cases, 12 counterfeit goods cases, 8 prohibited weapons cases, 4 dangerous drugs cases and 3 copyright-infringing goods cases.

Last year, they detected 293 cases at the Air Mail Centre, including 113 counterfeit goods cases, 74 illicit cigarettes cases, 57 dangerous drugs cases, 22 prohibited weapons cases, 13 copyright-infringing goods cases, and 10 illicit pharmaceuticals cases.

Statistics on cases detected by Hong Kong Customs
at Air Mail Centre

45 counterfeit watches seized from an outbound Speedpost package at the Air Mail Centre on March 10, 2008.

Illicit cigarettes seized at the Air Mail Centre during the special operation from April 22 to May 5, 2008.

A total of 3.5 grams of cannabis buds seized from an inbound small packet at the Air Mail Centre on January 1, 2008.

Eight knuckledusters, which were prohibited weapons, seized from six outbound small packets at the Air Mail Centre on February 1, 2008.

Ends/Thursday, May 8, 2008