Woman jailed for 6 months over $376,000 duty-not-paid cigarettes, vaping product at HK airport

A 22-year-old woman was sentenced to six months in jail and fined HK$2,000 for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and an alternative smoking product at Hong Kong International Airport.

West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts handed down the sentence on Monday. Customs officers intercepted the passenger on October 10, 2025, seizing 91,600 duty-not-paid cigarettes and a vaping product worth about HK$376,000 with a duty potential of HK$303,000 from her baggage.

She was fined HK$1,000 under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance and another HK$1,000 under the Import and Export Ordinance, in addition to the jail term.

Customs welcomed the sentence, saying the imprisonment has a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.

Importing illicit cigarettes carries a maximum penalty of a HK$2 million fine and seven years' jail, while importing vaping products carries the same maximum penalty.