Police, Customs Seize HK$20.6 Million Illicit Cigarettes
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong Marine Police and Customs carried out a joint operation off Tai O on the night of August 13 after suspecting that speedboats were being used for smuggling in waters west of Lantau Island . During the operation, officers found two speedboats near the shore without navigation lights switched on, while several men were unloading cargo from the boats onto two goods vehicles on land . The suspects fled by speedboat when officers moved in, and after a pursuit they escaped from Hong Kong's southern waters toward inland waters . Officers seized about 4.57 million sticks of suspected illicit cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about HK$20.6 million and a duty potential of about HK$15.1 million .
Key Points
- The operation involved the Marine Region Task Force, the Offshore Islands District Task Force, the Marine West Division, and Customs' Maritime Enforcement Bureau .
- Police said the action followed in-depth investigation and intelligence analysis into suspected speedboat smuggling near western Lantau waters .
- Officers spotted two speedboats near Tai O shore with no navigation lights, alongside men transferring cargo onto two goods vehicles .
- When officers closed in, the men boarded the speedboats and fled; they later escaped toward inland waters after a chase .
- Authorities detained two suspected goods vehicles and said Customs will continue investigating the case after the seizure .
Why It Matters
The case points to continued enforcement pressure on sea-borne smuggling routes around outlying waters in Hong Kong, especially at night and near remote shorelines . It also underlines the financial stakes of illicit tobacco trafficking, with both the market value and unpaid duty running into tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars .