Customs Busts East Kowloon Phone-Order Illicit Cigarette Ring
HK01 · 2 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong Customs said its Revenue Crimes Investigation Bureau's dedicated illicit cigarette phone-order team began the case after stopping a woman distributing cigarette leaflets at a public housing estate in Kwun Tong in early October 2026. The leaflets carried price lists and an order phone number, prompting intelligence gathering and analysis before officers posed as buyers and arranged a transaction in a public housing estate in Ngau Tau Kok on October 13, 2026. A 38-year-old local man, who reported his occupation as driver, was arrested at the scene with 1,000 suspected illicit cigarettes on him, and officers later found about 47,000 more in the private car he was driving. Customs said the vehicle, described as a distribution car for deliveries, was detained and the operation had likely cut off an East Kowloon sales network using leaflet promotion and telephone ordering.
Key Points
- Customs first intercepted a woman handing out illicit cigarette leaflets at a Kwun Tong public housing estate in early October 2026.
- The seized leaflets listed cigarette prices and a phone number for placing orders, forming the basis for follow-up intelligence work.
- Officers later posed as buyers, contacted the seller through the leaflet number, and arranged a deal in Ngau Tau Kok on October 13.
- A 38-year-old local male driver was arrested with 1,000 suspected illicit cigarettes, while about 47,000 more were found in his car.
- Customs seized about 48,000 suspected illicit cigarettes in total, with an estimated market value of HK$220,000 and duty potential of HK$160,000.
Why It Matters
The case shows how illicit cigarette sellers were allegedly using low-cost leaflet distribution and phone ordering to reach buyers in public housing areas of East Kowloon. Customs also stressed that buying illicit cigarettes is illegal, not only selling or possessing them, with offences under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance carrying a maximum penalty of a HK$2 million fine and seven years' imprisonment