2 inbound male guests were each sentenced to 6 months’ jail time with a fine of $2,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts today (September 7) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and stopping working to state them to Customs officers, in conflict of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

Customs officers obstructed 2 inbound Mainland male travelers, aged 32 and 42, at Hong Kong International Airport on September 5 and 6 respectively, took an overall of 61 816 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an approximated market price of about $280,000 and a responsibility capacity of about $205,000 from their individual luggage. The 2 travelers were consequently apprehended.

Custom-mades invites the sentences. The custodial sentences have actually enforced a significant deterrent result and show the severity of the offenses.

Customizeds advises members of the general public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable products 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 $2 million and jail time for 7 years.

Members of the general public might report any believed 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).