Two incoming passengers were both sentenced to five months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (March 7) for importing and possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).
Customs officers intercepted an incoming male passenger, aged 40, at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) yesterday (March 6), and seized about 33 600 duty-not-paid cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $151,000 and a duty potential of about $111,000, from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to five months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the Courts today.
As well, Customs officers intercepted another incoming male passenger, aged 52, at HKIA on the same day and seized 31 200 duty-not-paid cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $140,400 and a duty potential of about $103,100, from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested. He was sentenced to five months' imprisonment and fined $1,000 by the Courts today.
Customs welcomes the sentences. The custodial sentences have 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 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/en/).
