Hong Kong customs seize HK$3.5m in suspected smuggled cigarettes in two raids
Hong Kong customs seized about 780,000 suspected smuggled cigarettes worth HK$3.5 million in two separate operations on September 22 and 24, after taking over a probe from police. The cigarettes were disguised as legitimate car parts and destined for Australia, where tobacco taxes are higher.
Hong Kong customs have seized about 780,000 suspected smuggled cigarettes worth about HK$3.5 million in two separate operations, the department announced on October 7. The seizures came after customs took over an investigation from the police on September 21 into a storage warehouse for illegal cigarettes.
Investigations revealed that a criminal syndicate had repackaged large quantities of illegal cigarettes as legitimate goods awaiting transshipment, intending to smuggle them to countries or regions where tobacco taxes are higher than in Hong Kong, according to customs.
In the first case, on September 22, customs officers selected and inspected a shipment declared as car parts at a logistics warehouse in Tin Shui Wai, seizing about 400,000 suspected smuggled cigarettes.
In the second case, on September 24, officers at the Customs Inspection Facility in Tsing Yi selected and inspected a 40-foot shipping container also declared as containing car parts, seizing about 380,000 suspected smuggled cigarettes. Both shipments were destined for Australia.
The cases remain under investigation, and customs said it would continue to trace the source and destination of the illegal cigarettes. Arrests have not been ruled out.
Customs said it would continue to step up efforts to combat cross-border cigarette smuggling based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis. Smuggling is a serious offence, it said. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, anyone importing or exporting unmanifested goods is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of HK$2 million and up to seven years in jail. Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, handling, possessing, selling or buying illegal cigarettes is also punishable by a maximum fine of HK$2 million and up to seven years in jail.
The department urged the public to report suspected smuggling activities via its 24-hour hotline 182 8080, by email to [email protected], or through an online form.
