Hong Kong Customs yesterday (August 14) detected a cross-boundary smuggling cigarettes case at Lok Ma Chau Control Point. In an inbound private car, a total of 21 packages containing 102,400 sticks of duty-not-paid cigarettes were found. The total value is about $0.255 million with a duty potential of about $0.175 million. In the operation, a 37-year-old Hong Kong man was arrested and the private car was seized.
The private car arrived in Hong Kong at around 8pm yesterday. Upon vehicle search, Customs officers seized the cigarettes from six carton boxes and 15 plastic bags.
Customs will continue to take stringent enforcement against cigarette smuggling activities by cross-boundary private car to protect government revenue.
Under Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling and buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.
Ends/Wednesday, August 15 2012
