Two jailed 10 months over 190,000 illicit cigarettes
On.cc · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Two mainland Chinese men were sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment each at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on August 12 after customs officers found about 190,000 duty-not-paid cigarettes in their personal luggage at Hong Kong International Airport. The pair had arrived on August 11 on flights originating in Vientiane, Laos, and transiting through Hanoi, Vietnam, before reaching Hong Kong. Customs said the cigarettes had an estimated market value of about HK$850,000 and a duty potential of about HK$627,000. The men, aged 48 and 39, were prosecuted under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance
Key Points
- Customs officers stopped the two men separately at Hong Kong International Airport after they arrived from Hanoi on August 11.
- Both travellers were mainland Chinese men, aged 48 and 39, arriving from Vientiane via Hanoi with personal luggage
- Officers found a combined total of about 190,000 duty-not-paid cigarettes inside the pair's personal baggage.
- The seized cigarettes were estimated to be worth about HK$850,000, with dutiable value of about HK$627,000.
- The case was heard at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on August 12, where both defendants received 10-month jail terms.
Why It Matters
The case underlines the legal and financial risks tied to cross-border cigarette smuggling through Hong Kong's airport, where customs screening remains focused on passenger baggage. Customs said it welcomed the sentence because imprisonment carries significant deterrent force, while the ordinance provides for penalties of up to HK$2 million in fines and seven years' imprisonment upon conviction.