$1.26m of illicit cigarettes seized in North Point, woman arrested

Customs officers have seized about 280,000 suspected illicit cigarettes worth HK$1.26 million in a raid on a storage facility in North Point and arrested a 65-year-old woman.

Officers from the revenue investigation section of the Customs and Excise Department spotted the woman acting suspiciously on Tuesday afternoon. After stopping her, they took her to a utility room on the rear staircase of a nearby building where they found the cigarettes.

The estimated duty value of the seizure is about HK$920,000. The unemployed local woman, who is reportedly a resident of the building, was arrested.

Investigations revealed the utility rooms in the building were available for rent.

Customs believes the operation successfully dismantled a storage and distribution centre supplying the Eastern district. Authorities suspect the individual was stocking up for the Lunar New Year holiday. By using a concealed utility room in an old residential building, the suspects attempted to increase detection difficulty.

Customs reiterated that both selling and buying illicit cigarettes are illegal. Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, offenders face a maximum penalty of a HK$2 million fine and seven years' imprisonment.