A 32-year-old man was sentenced to two months' imprisonment today (January 16) at Fanling Magistrates' Courts for exporting an excessive amount of powdered formula, in contravention of the Import and Export (General) (Amendment) Regulation 2013 (the Amendment Regulation).
Customs officers inspected an outgoing private car at Man Kam To Control Point yesterday. Twenty-four cans of powdered formula weighing 21.6 kilograms in total with an estimated market value of about $6,700 were seized on board the vehicle. The male driver of the private car was then arrested.
Under the Amendment Regulation, it is an offence to export powdered formula, including milk powder and soya milk powder, for infants and children under 36 months without a licence. To allow a reasonable quantity for personal use, the prohibition does not apply to powdered formula not exceeding 1.8kg in total net weight that is exported in the accompanied personal baggage of a person leaving Hong Kong. However, the person must be aged 16 or above and must not have left Hong Kong in the last 24 hours. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years.
Customs reminds members of the public and outbound travellers to observe the Amendment Regulation effective since March 1, 2013.
Members of the public may report any unlicensed export of powdered formula to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).
Ends/Wednesday, January 16, 2019