Mainland traveller jailed seven months over untaxed cigarettes
Crhk · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A 42-year-old mainland Chinese woman was sentenced to seven months' imprisonment at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts after being convicted of importing untaxed cigarettes and electronic cigarettes into Hong Kong. The case involved offences under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance and the Import and Export Ordinance. Hong Kong Customs said the woman arrived in the city from Tokyo via Taipei in mid-August, when officers found the goods in her personal baggage during clearance at the airport. The seized items included 61,200 untaxed cigarettes and 7,600 alternative smoking products, with an estimated market value of about HK$298,000 and duty of about HK$200,000.
Key Points
- The defendant was a 42-year-old mainland woman traveller who entered Hong Kong through the airport and was later prosecuted over the importation case.
- Customs said she flew from Tokyo, transited through Taipei, and arrived in Hong Kong in mid-August before officers inspected her baggage.
- Officers found 61,200 untaxed cigarettes inside her personal luggage during customs clearance at Hong Kong International Airport.
- Customs also seized 7,600 alternative smoking products, while CRHK identified the items as electronic cigarettes in its report.
- The goods were estimated to be worth about HK$298,000, with dutiable value of about HK$200,000, before the court imposed a seven-month jail term.
Why It Matters
The case shows that airport baggage checks can lead to custodial sentences when travellers bring large quantities of untaxed tobacco-related products into Hong Kong. For Hong Kong readers, it is also a reminder that offences involving both duty evasion and restricted smoking products can trigger prosecution under more than one ordinance.