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| The three-day Customs haul at the airport |
Hong Kong Customs has issued a warning to passengers arriving through the airport and seaports, who habitually bring reams of cigarettes in their luggage: such smuggling can land you in jail.
The warning comes in the form of an operation enforcement
operation codenamed "Tempest", the latest of which was held last
August 19 to 21, in which a total of 1.4 million suspected illicit
cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $6.2 million and a duty
potential of about $4.5 million were seized.
Fourteen persons, mostly from Southeast Asian countries, were
arrested.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
“Passengers are reminded not to engage in illicit cigarette
smuggling to avoid the risks of getting caught. Customs will also closely
monitor illicit cigarette syndicates and continue the multipronged enforcement
strategy to vigorously combat illicit cigarette activities,” it said in a
statement.
The 14 arrested passengers, aged between 23 and 56, arrived in
Hong Kong from the Southeast Asian region.
“An investigation revealed that the check-in baggage carried
by the arrestees was fully packed with duty-not-paid cigarettes and contained
no other personal belongings” it said.
All the 14 have been charged with dealing with, possessing,
importing duty-not-paid cigarettes, or failing to declare to Customs officers,
in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance.
Nine of them were convicted at the Magistrates' Courts and
sentenced to immediate imprisonment ranging from eight months to 20 months. One
of the arrestees was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment for smuggling over
180,000 illicit cigarettes into Hong Kong.
“The custodial sentences have imposed a considerable
deterrent effect and reflect the seriousness of the offences,” Customs said.
“The operation is ongoing. Customs will keep strengthening
passenger clearance based on risk assessment to combat cross-boundary illicit
cigarette activities,” it added.
Under the Ordinance, anyone involved in importing, dealing
with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment
for seven years.
