Customs busts Tsuen Wan cigarette den in clinic front
Thestandard · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong Customs said it dismantled a suspected illicit cigarette retail and distribution outlet in Tsuen Wan that was operating behind the cover of a traditional Chinese medicine clinic. The raid on Thursday led to the seizure of about 100,000 suspected duty-unpaid cigarettes worth an estimated HK$440,000, and a 78-year-old man was arrested and later charged.
Key Points
- The enforcement action followed an investigation by the Revenue Crimes Investigation Bureau after officers detected suspicious activity linked to the clinic in Tsuen Wan.
- Undercover customs officers posed as customers and carried out a test purchase at the premises on Thursday afternoon before moving in.
- Customs said the operator offered cigarettes at prices well below the statutory tobacco duty rate, triggering immediate enforcement action at the scene.
- Officers seized around 100,000 suspected illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of HK$440,000 and potential duty of about HK$320,000.
- Initial inquiries indicated the group rented a subdivided unit in an older walk-up tenement building, using the clinic as a front to reduce detection risk.
Why It Matters
The case shows how illicit tobacco sellers may use ordinary street-level businesses and hard-to-access premises to mask retail and distribution activity in urban districts. Customs also used the case to remind the public that, under the amended Dutiable Commodities Ordinance effective since September last year, cigarettes sold below the statutory duty rate are presumed illicit unless duty payment can be proven.