Man Jailed Six Months Over Illegal Alternative Smoking Imports
RTHK · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A man has been sentenced to six months in prison after illegally importing 33,800 alternative smoking products into Hong Kong. The Department of Health welcomed the court's ruling and repeated its warning that members of the public and travellers should not bring e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products or herbal cigarettes into the city, and should not use any alternative smoking products
Key Points
- The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office was notified by Customs on Thursday, after the products were found in the luggage of a man arriving in Hong Kong from Japan.
- Officers then arrested and prosecuted the man over the 33,800 alternative smoking products seized from his baggage.
- The Department of Health said amendments giving Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office inspectors arrest powers took effect on September 19, 2025
- Since those amendments took effect, prosecutors have brought 29 cases involving large quantities of alternative smoking products carried into Hong Kong.
- A total of 31 people have been convicted and jailed, with sentences ranging from four weeks to eight months.
- Under the Import and Export Ordinance, importing alternative smoking products is illegal and can carry up to two years' jail on summary conviction or seven years on indictment
- Under the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance, promoting, manufacturing, selling or possessing alternative smoking products for commercial purposes is also prohibited
Why It Matters
The case adds to a growing line of prosecutions under Hong Kong's tightened anti-smoking enforcement regime, with custodial sentences already imposed in dozens of cases. For travellers, the ruling is a direct reminder that bringing alternative smoking products into Hong Kong can lead not only to seizure and prosecution, but also to immediate jail terms.