Customs officers from the Revenue and General Investigation Bureau this morning (December 1) seized from a transshipment container 2.5 million sticks of suspected counterfeit cigarettes, valued about $3.75 million and with duty potential of about $2 million.
The container declared to be carrying 258 cartons of cigarettes was shipped from Singapore to Hong Kong via Yantian, the Mainland for onward transshipment to Gaoxiong, Taiwan.
The officers mounted the operation this morning (December 1) following intensive intelligence analysis on the concerned suspicious container, which appeared to be transshipped by circuitous routes.
Customs investigations are continuing and no arrest has been made so far.
A spokesman from the Customs and Excise said that this was the second transshipment case involving illicit cigarettes cracked by the Customs this year.
He stressed that the Department was committed to combating illicit cigarettes activities.
Ends/Wednesday, December 1, 2004