Illicit cigarette wholesalers ramp up social media tactics amid new tobacco law in HK

Some illicit cigarette wholesalers are aggressively soliciting business on social media by offering discounts and using tactics to evade platform detection, following an amended law requiring that cigarettes sold below the tobacco duty prove they are duty-paid.

The government has implemented the Tobacco Control Legislation (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 on September 19, which amends the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, stating that any cigarettes priced below the tobacco duty (HK$66.12 in duty for a pack of 20 cigarettes) must provide proof of having been taxed; otherwise, they will be presumed duty-unpaid.

The measure has led many newsstands and retailers to cease selling “cheap whites” and prompted illicit cigarette wholesalers to turn to online channels to solicit business.

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A wholesaler selling so-called “duty-paid cheap whites” has been found to advertise on Facebook to attract customers aggressively. 

They offered discounts for the first purchase of one carton (10 packs) of cigarettes to secure new clients, while giving away lighters to encourage repeat business. Existing customers who refer newcomers also receive a HK$100 “cash coupon” as they seek to expand their illegal market share. 

Another wholesaler has launched a New Year’s special promotion, offering a discount of HK$100 for new customers ordering one carton or more of illegal cigarettes. It even emphasized that its prices are the lowest in the city, boasting, “If you find a lower price elsewhere, I’ll cut another HK$10.” 

Some wholesalers were also vying for customers by offering “premium service”, including 24-hour WhatsApp support for orders and same-day delivery for morning orders, with a carton of  “cheap whites” priced as low as HK$390.

Notably, many advertisements seem to evade Facebook’s scrutiny of illegal activities by avoiding the use of the Chinese word for “cigarette”. Instead, they used “IN” (which sounds similar to the Chinese term for cigarettes) as a substitute. However, the images for the post—such as cartoons of young women smoking or cigarette packaging—make it clear that they are selling cigarettes.

A reporter from Sing Tao Daily, the sister publication of The Standard, clicked on the WhatsApp link from the Facebook advertisement posing as a customer to inquire about prices and promotions. 

The sellers claimed their cigarettes were sourced from overseas and border duty-free shops, with guaranteed quality, and promised delivery to any location in Hong Kong on the same or next day. 

They then instructed the reporter to click on the links to their private Telegram groups for illegal cigarettes. After logging in, the reporter found detailed price lists and promotion information for dozens of types of illicit cigarettes. 

Customs stated that it employs a law enforcement strategy based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis to combat illicit cigarette activities. This includes cracking down on cross-border cigarette smuggling activities, shutting down storage and distribution centres, and tackling peddling activities. 

The Customs will enhance intelligence collection and closely monitor the latest developments in illicit cigarette activities, promising decisive enforcement action if illegal activities are discovered.