2 mainland men jailed for 10 months over 190,000 undeclared cigarettes at HK airport

Two mainland Chinese men were each sentenced to 10 months in prison at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on Wednesday for possessing undeclared duty-paid cigarettes, in a case that Customs described as a strong deterrent.

The men, aged 48 and 39, were arrested at Hong Kong International Airport on Tuesday after arriving on a flight from Vientiane, Laos, via Hanoi, Vietnam. Customs officers found about 190,000 undeclared cigarettes in their personal luggage, with an estimated market value of about HK$850,000 and a duty value of about HK$627,000.

They were charged under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance. Customs welcomed the ruling, saying the jail term sends a clear message and reflects the seriousness of the offence.

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