Hong Kong Customs yesterday (November 24) detected a case of illicit cigarettes in Kwai Chung in which a lorry was used as a mobile centre for packing the illicit cigarettes. Customs seized a total of 360,000 sticks of illicit cigarettes, 340 kilogrammes of duty-not-paid tobacco, 175 litres of illicit motor spirit, and a number of suspected counterfeit tobacco labels and some packing tools. The total value is about $1.37 million with a dutiable value of $0.93 million. During the operation, a 37-year-old man was arrested and the lorry was impounded.
Officers of the Anti-Illicit-Cigarette Investigation Division found that Speedpost was being used to mail illicit cigarettes to the UK to profit from the difference in cigarette prices between Hong Kong and the UK. After investigation, officers yesterday intercepted the suspected lorry in Kwai Chung, seizing the illicit cigarettes, tobacco, motor spirit, tobacco labels and multi-packing boxes.
Customs officers also found that the seized illicit cigarettes and tobacco were to be repackaged and mailed to the UK, while the illicit motor spirit was for local consumption.
The arrested man will be charged under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance. He is now on bail pending investigations.
Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with or possession, selling and buying of illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty on conviction is imprisonment for two years and a fine of $1 million.
A spokesman for the Customs and Excise Department stressed that Customs would spare no effort to combat illicit cigarette activities. He urged members of the public to report suspected illicit cigarette activities to the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182.
Ends/Wednesday, November 25, 2009
