Hong Kong Customs detects this year’s largest smuggling case of smoke oil cartridges by land (with photo)

     Hong Kong Customs seized about 182 000 smoke oil cartridges containing suspected nicotine oil with an estimated market value of about $4.7 million at Man Kam To Control Point on September 21. This is the largest smuggling case of smoke oil cartridges containing suspected nicotine oil detected at land boundary control points this year.

     Through risk assessment, Customs officers intercepted a box-type lorry arriving in Hong Kong from Huizhou, Guangdong, declared as carrying electronic products. The batch of smoke oil cartridges containing suspected nicotine oil were found inside 520 carton boxes on board the lorry. The 33-year-old male driver was arrested.

     It was believed that the smoke oil cartridges were transshipment cargoes being conveyed from Huizhou via Hong Kong to Europe for sale and for smoking e-cigarettes. Investigation is ongoing.

     Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years. Also, any person who imports pharmaceutical products without a valid import licence commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).