Cigarette smuggling syndicate shut down
October 13, 2013
Illicit haul : Customs officers seize smuggled cigarettes from a cross-boundary vehicle.
Customs officers have arrested six people and seized a vehicle and about 3.3 million cigarettes worth about $8.1 million in a week-long crackdown against cigarette smuggling.
The officers also shut down six illicit cigarette storage points.
The cigarettes seized had a duty potential of about $5.6 million. Those arrested - three men and three women - were aged from 41 to 58.
The vehicle was stopped at Lok Ma Chau Control Point yesterday, and was declared to contain 233 boxes of nylon bags and electronic products. X-ray examination and inspection uncovered about 2.7 million sticks of illicit cigarettes.
The other 600,000 cigarettes were found in four mini-storage units the distributors rented, and two residential premises.
No effort spared
In the first nine months this year, Customs staff detected 20 significant smuggling cases, each with more than 500,000 cigarettes. During the period, a total of 32 million illicit cigarettes were seized, compared with 27 million cigaretts seized in 17 significant cases in the first nine months of 2012.
Overall, a total of 65 million illicit cigarettes for the local market were seized, a 30%-plus increase compared to the 49 million cigarettes seized in the same period last year.
"The Customs will continue to spare no effort to undertake stringent enforcement against illicit cigarettes activities on all fronts for protection of Government revenue," Revenue & General Investigation Bureau Deputy Head Lai Sau-ieng said at a press conference today.
Smuggling is a serious offence, with a maximum penalty of a $2 million fine and seven years in prison. Dealing with, possessing, selling or buying illicit cigarettes is an offence with a maximum penalty of a $1 million fine and two years in prison.
Report suspected illicit cigarette activities by calling the Customs' 24-hour hotline, 2545 6182.
