Customs cracked 1,043 suspected illegal drug import cases
Bastillepost · 2 SOURCES1 day ago5 MIN
Summary
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau (盧寵茂) said the government has continued to take a tough stance against the illegal import and sale of unregistered pharmaceutical products. Replying to a Legislative Council question on Wednesday, he said Customs had uncovered 1,043 suspected illegal import cases in the past three years, with seized goods worth about HK$364 million, and prosecutions had been brought in 140 of them.
Key Points
- Lo Chung-mau told the Legislative Council on October 21 that Customs detected 1,043 suspected illegal pharmaceutical import cases over the past three years.
- The goods seized in those cases were worth about HK$364 million, and prosecutors have so far pursued 140 of the cases.
- From January 2023 to September this year, the Department of Health handled 108 convicted cases involving sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products.
- In those convicted cases, the heaviest penalties imposed were 10 months' imprisonment or a fine of HK$242,000.
- Under the Import and Export (General) Regulations, inbound travellers carrying a reasonable quantity of medicines for personal use are exempt from import permits.
- Customs assesses personal-use claims case by case, considering the circumstances, available information and product packaging, and may seek Department of Health advice.
- If the medicines are classified as dangerous drugs, antibiotics or Part 1 poisons, travellers must carry a doctor's prescription to bring them in legally.
Why It Matters
The figures show that enforcement is continuing on both cross-border imports and local sales or possession of unregistered medicines, an issue that affects residents and visitors who bring drugs into Hong Kong. For travellers, the practical consequence is that personal-use exemptions exist, but medicines in restricted categories still require supporting medical documentation at the border.