111 sentenced to jail as Customs intercepts over 12,400 illicit cigarettes cases at borders

Customs has reported the effective implementation of its cross-border strategy against cigarette smuggling, intercepting over 12,400 cases of inbound travelers carrying untaxed cigarettes during the first half of the year, resulting in 111 individuals sentenced to prison.

They are being sentenced for periods ranging from 14 days to eight months in jail.

Additionally, Customs have demanded the removal of 159 online advertisements promoting illicit cigarette sales during the same period.

The strategy includes intercepting cross-border smuggling, cracking down on storage and distribution, and disrupting sales through cooperation with both mainland and overseas authorities, said Wong Ho-yin, Assistant Commissioner (Intelligence and Investigation) of the Customs.

"We've further identified that a portion of the seized cigarettes are non-local brands," Wong stated, emphasizing that syndicates are exploiting Hong Kong's logistical advantages as a transit hub to re-export cigarettes to higher-tax areas such as Australia.

This came after the Customs earlier announced that it has seized 200 million illicit cigarettes in the first five months of the year, a fourfold surge compared to the same period last year.