Customs seizes HK$1.94 million illicit cigarettes in Kwun Tong
SingTao · 3 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong Customs said it broke up a suspected illicit cigarette storage operation in Kwun Tong on October 12 after stopping a suspicious woman on Yee On Street and finding suspected illicit cigarettes in her backpack. Officers then escorted the 63-year-old local woman, who reported her occupation as a cleaner, to a nearby tenement residential unit, where they uncovered a much larger cache. Customs said the total haul was about 430,000 suspected illicit cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about HK$1.94 million and a duty potential of about HK$1.42 million. The woman has been charged, and the case is scheduled to be heard at Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts on October 14 while the investigation continues.
Key Points
- The enforcement action took place on October 12 in Kwun Tong, where Customs targeted suspected illicit cigarette activity during an anti-smuggling operation.
- Officers intercepted a suspicious woman on Yee On Street and found 1,200 suspected illicit cigarettes inside her backpack before making the arrest.
- The arrested suspect is a 63-year-old local woman who told officers she worked as a cleaner, according to Customs.
- A follow-up search at her nearby tenement residential unit uncovered roughly 430,000 suspected illicit cigarettes in total, though one report said about 420,000 were found inside the flat.
- Customs said buying, selling, possessing or dealing with illicit cigarettes is illegal under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, with a maximum penalty of a HK$2 million fine and seven years’ imprisonment.
Why It Matters
The case points to continued enforcement pressure on illicit cigarette storage and distribution in urban residential areas, where nearby flats can allegedly be used as stock points. For Hong Kong residents, the prosecution and the stated penalties are a reminder that not only sellers but also buyers and possessors of illicit cigarettes may face criminal liability under local law.