HONG KONG: The customs of China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) announced on Saturday that it had seized about 830,000 suspected illicit cigarettes at a border control point. The cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about 2.2 million Hong Kong dollars (about 280,000 U.S. dollars) and a duty potential of about 1.6 million Hong Kong dollars (about 210,000 U.S. dollars), were seized Friday at Man Kam To Control Point, the Customs and Excise Department of the HKSAR government said in a press release.
Customs officers intercepted an incoming container truck declared as carrying assorted goods at Man Kam To Control Point and found the suspected illicit cigarettes in 104 carton boxes in the container. The male driver, aged 53, was arrested. The container truck was detained. Investigation is ongoing. Smuggling is a serious offence in the HKSAR. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of 2 million Hong Kong dollars (about 260,000 U.S. dollars) and imprisonment for seven years.
