Four incoming passengers were sentenced from four months' to seven months' imprisonment, and three of them were fined $500, by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (January 22) for importing and dealing with duty-not-paid cigarettes, failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).
Customs officers intercepted a 48-year-old incoming female passenger, a 37-year-old incoming male passenger and a 55-year-old incoming male passenger at Hong Kong International Airport on November 26, 2025. About 98 600 sticks of duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $404,000 and a duty potential of about $326,000 in total, were seized from their baggage. They were subsequently arrested.
The three passengers were each sentenced to seven months' imprisonment and fined $500 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today.
In addition, Customs officers intercepted a 33-year-old incoming male passenger at the airport on January 21 and seized 28 400 sticks of duty-not-paid cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $127,800 and a duty potential of about $93,800 from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to four months' imprisonment by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today.
Customs welcomes the sentences. The custodial sentences impose a considerable deterrent effect and reflect 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.
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).
Ends/Thursday, January 22, 2026
