2 inbound guests founded guilty and imprisoned for having duty-not-paid cigarettes (with pictures)
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2 inbound guests were sentenced to one month’s jail time, and 3 months’ jail time and fined $500, respectively at the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts and the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts on August 16 and today (August 18) for having duty-not-paid cigarettes and stopping working to state them to Customs officers, in conflict of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).
Customs officers obstructed a 59-year-old inbound female guest at the Heung Yuen Wai Control Point on August 15. An overall of 3 181 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an approximated market price of about $14,300 and a task capacity of about $10,500, were taken from her individual luggage. She was consequently jailed.
In addition, Customs officers obstructed a 49-year-old inbound female traveler at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point on August 16. An overall of 5 981 duty-not-paid cigarettes and around 12 kgs of raw meat, with an overall projected market price of about $31,300 and a responsibility capacity of about $19,800, were taken from her individual luggage. She was consequently jailed.
Custom-mades invites the sentence. The custodial sentence has actually enforced a substantial deterrent result and shows the severity of the offenses.
Under the DCO, tobacco items are dutiable items to which the DCO uses. Anybody who imports, handle, has, offers or purchases illegal cigarettes dedicates an offense. The optimum charge upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and jail time for 2 years.
In addition, according to the Imported Game, Meat, Poultry and Eggs Regulations (Cap. 132AK), it is an offense to bring any video game, meat, poultry or eggs into Hong Kong without a health certificate released by a releasing entity of the location of origin and/or without prior composed authorization given by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. A transgressor will be responsible on conviction to a fine of $50,000 and to jail time for 6 months.
Members of the general public might report any thought illegal cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its devoted crime-reporting e-mail account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online type (eform.cefs.gov.hk/ form/ced002).