A 48-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman were each fined $2,500 today (March 8) at Fanling Magistrates' Courts for importing rice without a licence, in contravention of the Reserved Commodities (Control of Imports, Exports and Reserve Stocks) Regulations.
Customs officers intercepted an incoming private vehicle at Lok Ma Chau Control Point on January 1 and found on board the vehicle 11 packs of rice, each weighing 25 kilograms. The total quantity of the rice involved was 275kg. The 48-year-old male driver and the 48-year-old female passenger were arrested.
Under the Reserved Commodities (Control of Imports, Exports and Reserve Stocks) Regulations, it is an offence to import into and export from Hong Kong rice except under an import or export licence issued by the Director-General of Trade and Industry. No licence will be required for rice imported into or exported from Hong Kong in the personal luggage of a person solely for his own consumption or as gifts in an amount not exceeding 15kg. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for one year.
Ends/Wednesday, March 8, 2017