Hong Kong Customs raids three illicit tobacco products storage centres with seizure worth about $17 million (with photo)

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (August 20) raided three suspected illicit tobacco products centres in the New Territories. A total of about 410 000 suspected illicit cigarettes and about 2 200 kilograms of suspected duty-not-paid manufactured tobacco, with an estimated market value of about $17 million and a duty potential of about $10 million, were seized.

     Customs officers mounted an anti-illicit cigarette operation in the vicinity of Yuen Long at noon yesterday and intercepted two suspicious men outside a metal hut on Kam Sheung Road. About 700kg of suspected duty-not-paid manufactured tobacco was seized inside the metal hut, and the two men were arrested subsequently.

     Customs officers later proceeded to another metal hut in Fung Kat Heung, Yuen Long, immediately for a follow-up investigation, and seized about 410 000 suspected illicit cigarettes therein. On the same afternoon, Customs searched a warehouse of a logistics company on Sha Tau Kok Road in Fanling and further uncovered about 1 500kg of suspected duty-not-paid manufactured tobacco. 

     The two arrested men, aged 31 and 42, were charged with "dealing with goods to which the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance applies" and will appear at the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (August 22).

     Customs will continue its risk assessment and intelligence analysis for interception at source as well as through its multipronged enforcement strategy targeting storage, distribution and peddling to spare no effort in combating illicit cigarette activities.

     Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).