Three air passengers jailed over illicit cigarettes and vaping products
Bastillepost · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Three inbound travellers were convicted in West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts for importing and handling duty-not-paid cigarettes, failing to declare them to customs officers, and importing alternative smoking products. The cases stemmed from two separate interceptions at Hong Kong International Airport, one on June 10 and another on September 9. The three defendants received prison terms ranging from six to seven months, along with fines between HK$800 and HK$1,000. Hong Kong Customs said it welcomed the sentences and said custodial punishment carried a strong deterrent effect
Key Points
- Customs stopped a 49-year-old female mainland arrival and a 30-year-old male mainland arrival at Hong Kong International Airport on June 10
- Officers found 9,200 duty-not-paid cigarettes and 81,600 alternative smoking products in their personal luggage, worth about HK$282,500 in total
- The taxable value of the seized goods in the June 10 case was estimated at about HK$30,400, and both travellers were arrested immediately
- On September 11, the woman was jailed seven months and fined HK$1,000, while the man was jailed six months and fined HK$1,000
- In a separate airport case on September 9, a 56-year-old male mainland arrival carried about 38,000 illicit cigarettes and 8,000 alternative smoking products
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong travellers, the case is a reminder that cigarettes are dutiable goods and that undeclared tobacco can lead to immediate arrest and jail. It also underlines that importing alternative smoking products remains a criminal offence under Hong Kong law, with Customs pointing to maximum penalties of a HK$2 million fine and seven years’ imprisonment under both relevant ordinances