A 48-year-old mainland female passenger was sentenced to eight weeks' imprisonment by Fanling Magistrates' Courts on Monday for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers.
The woman was intercepted at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point on August 29 with her child. Customs officers found 1,581 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about HK$7,900 and a duty potential of about HK$5,200, in the backpack carried by her child.
Customs welcomed the sentence, noting that even first-time offenders may face imprisonment. Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, importing or possessing illicit cigarettes carries a maximum penalty of HK$2 million and seven years' imprisonment.
