Tag Archives: Customs

Hong Kong: Customs detects illicit cigarette smuggling in Lok Ma Chau (with photo)

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Hong Kong Customs today (December 2) detected a cross-boundary cigarette smuggling case in Lok Ma Chau Control Point and seized $1 million worth of illicit cigarettes, with a dutiable value of $0.63 million. A 39-year-old local male driver was arrested.

Early this morning, Customs officers intercepted for inspection a lorry which declared in its manifests with paper bags and buttons. However, the image of X-ray examination showed that it was carrying different goods. After a thorough examination of the lorry, Customs officers found the cigarettes in three large wooden boxes. The man was arrested and will be charged under the Import and Export Ordinance.

Under the Import and Export Ordinance, importing unmanifested cargo is a serious offence. The maximum penalty is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

The department will continue to take stringent enforcement against cigarette smuggling activities. Members of the public are urged to report any suspected illicit cigarettes activities to the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6128.

Hong Kong: Illicit cigarettes seized in Kwai Chung (with photos)

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Hong Kong Customs yesterday (November 24) detected a case of illicit cigarettes in Kwai Chung in which a lorry was used as a mobile centre for packing the illicit cigarettes. Customs seized a total of 360,000 sticks of illicit cigarettes, 340 kilogrammes of duty-not-paid tobacco, 175 litres of illicit motor spirit, and a number of suspected counterfeit tobacco labels and some packing tools. The total value is about $1.37 million with a dutiable value of $0.93 million. During the operation, a 37-year-old man was arrested and the lorry was impounded.

Officers of the Anti-Illicit-Cigarette Investigation Division found that Speedpost was being used to mail illicit cigarettes to the UK toprofit from the difference in cigarette prices between Hong Kong and the UK. After investigation, officers yesterday intercepted the suspected lorry in Kwai Chung, seizing the illicit cigarettes, tobacco, motor spirit, tobacco labels and multi-packing boxes.

Customs officers also found that the seized illicit cigarettes and tobacco were to be repackaged and mailed to the UK, while the illicit motor spirit was for local consumption.

The arrested man will be charged under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance. He is now on bail pending investigations.

Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with or possession, selling and buying of illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty on conviction is imprisonment for two years and a fine of $1 million.

A spokesman for the Customs and Excise Department stressed that Customs would spare no effort to combat illicit cigarette activities. He urged members of the public to report suspected illicit cigarette activities to the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182.

Hong Kong: Customs reminds public to observe duty free concession

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Travellers entering Hong Kong are today (November 20) being reminded to declare to Customs officers the quantity of dutiable goods exceeding the duty free concession or be liable to prosecution. Hong Kong Customs will step up enforcement against travellers at various control points bringing in dutiable goods in excess of the duty free concession.

Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, a passenger aged 18 or above is allowed to bring into Hong Kong 60 cigarettes or 15 cigars or 75 grammes of other manufactured tobacco; and one litre of alcoholic liquor with an alcoholic strength above 30% by volume measured at a temperature of 20 Degree Celsius free of duty for their own use.If the passenger holds a Hong Kong Identity Card, they must have spent 24 hours or longer outside Hong Kong.

An incoming passenger, who fails to declare or makes a false or incomplete declaration to a Customs officer on the excessive quantity of dutiable goods in their possession, commits an offence.The maximum penalty will be a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

Pursuant to the Compounding Scheme in place of prosecution, the passenger may be allowed to pay within 10 days a penalty equivalent to five times the duty payable on the dutiable goods concerned, plus a fine of $2,000.Passengers who fail to settle the penalties within the time set will be brought before the court.

Hong Kong Customs has been taking stringent action against the evasion of penalty payment and will apply for court warrants to apprehend offenders who fail to appear before the court.On November 18, three offenders were apprehended for non-payment of compound penalties.One of them, who had brought in a total of 4,000 dutiable cigarettes on four occasions, was fined $24,400 by the court.

Hong Kong: Customs detects cases of using new technique to illegally modify electronic game consoles

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Hong Kong Customs yesterday (November 18) conducted an operation against shops selling illegally modified electronic game consoles using new technique which enabled customers to play pirated electronic games.

Customs officers from the Intellectual Property Investigation Bureau and Special Task Force yesterday raided 21 shops, including 13 shops in Sham Shui Po, four in Mong Kok and four in Wan Chai, with a total seizure of 103 modified electronic game consoles and 316 pirated optical discs, worth more than $200,000. It is the biggest seizure ever detected of the similar operations. During the operation, 21 men and 5 women, including 6 shops proprietors and 20 shop assistants aged between 18 and 61, were arrested. They are on bail pending further investigations.

In an in-depth investigation, Customs found that a new technique was being used by some shops to modify illegally the game consoles. Instead of putting circumvented devices in the electronic game consoles, software programme of the game consoles were modified or intervened so that pirated electronic games could be read.

The Customs officers, posing as the customers, went to the shops to buy the game consoles and immediately took enforcement action. The success of the operation against the sale activities involving circumvention devices and provision of circumvention services was attributed to the full support given by the concerned copyright owner.

Speaking at a press conference today (November 19), Divisional Commander (Copyright), Ms Catherine Yip, said that Customs would continue to take stringent action against shops selling illegally modified electronic game consoles with the advent of the seasonal festive which was a high time for shopping.

Ms Yip reminded shop owners not to take part in the illegal activities of selling game consoles with circumvented devices. She also urged members of public to respect intellectual copyright and not to buy modified electronic game consoles or pirated electronic games.

According to the section on criminal liability for circumvention of effective technological measures under the Copyright (Amendment) Ordinance 2007, a person commits an offence if he makes, imports or exports circumvention devices for sale or hire; sells such devices; or provides circumvention service for business purposes. The maximum penalty is four years imprisonment and a fine of $500,000.

The public should report any suspected copyright infringing activities to the Customs and Excise Department by calling its 24-hour hotline 2545 6182.

Hong Kong: Customs smashes two drug trafficking attempts at airport (with photos)

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Hong Kong Customs smashed two drug trafficking cases at the Hong Kong International Airport these two days.

One case effected yesterday (November 17) and the Customs officers of the Airport Command arrested a woman and seized 1.2 kilogramme of heroin, with a street value of about one million dollar.

The officers yesterday evening intercepted the 26-year-old woman arriving from Kuala Lumpur for inspection and found a packet of drugs in the concealed compartment of her rucksack.

She will be charged with trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at Tsuen Wan Magistrates Courts tomorrow (November 19).

Meanwhile, Customs officers of the Airport Command today (November 18) uncovered an express cargo drug trafficking case and seized 2.56 kg of suspected cannabis with a retail value of about $256,000. The cannabis was found being smuggled from Nigeria via Hong Kong to the Mainland by express cargo.

Early this morning, the officers inspected a shipment of one carton declared as brake, arriving from Nigeria and destined for Guangzhou. After X-ray scanning, the officers broke open the brakes and found pellets of suspected cannabis, 2.56 kg in total, wrapped by tape.

Hong Kong Customs has strengthened enforcement actions at all control points in support of the Governments strategy to combat drugs.Customs officers are on high alert at all times to foil attempts by drug traffickers to take advantage of the heavy flow of passengers and cargo at the control points.

Customs will continue to make use of advanced technology, intelligence analysis, risk assessment and international co-operation to crack down on drug trafficking activities.

Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, drug trafficking is a serious offence. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment and a fine of $5 million.

Hong Kong: Customs cracks online sale of counterfeit cosmetics

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Hong Kong Customs yesterday (November 16) detected a case of selling suspected counterfeit cosmetics, seizing a batch of suspected counterfeit cosmetics and a computer, with a total value of about $29,000. A 21-year-old female student was arrested.

Customs previously received reports on the sale of suspected counterfeit cosmetics on a local internet auction site. Acting on the information, Customs officers of the Anti-Internet Piracy Team found that some suspected counterfeit cosmetics and make-up tools were being sold on the site with prices 40% to 70% lower than the actual prices of the products. Posing as a customer, a Customs officer contacted the suspect and deposited the money into a designated bank account.

Yesterday afternoon, the Customs officer, posing as the buyer, went to the Tuen Mun Light Rail Station for the trade and arrested the woman at the scene. Four items of suspected counterfeit cosmetics and make-up tools were seized. The suspect was then taken to a residential flat in Tin Shui Wai, Tuen Mun, where 345 items of suspected counterfeit cosmetics and make-up tools, including facial soap, sunscreen, make-up powder and eyeliner, were located. Customs officers also seized a computer suspected to have been used for carrying out the online auction activities.

Speaking at a press conference today (November 17) , Group Head (Intellectual Property Investigation (Operations)), Mr Thomas Lin, reminded people to beware of any kind of pirated or counterfeit goods when shopping on internet auction sites.If they were in any doubt about the authenticity of the goods, they should contact the trade mark owners for more information.

He said, Internet users should avoid being misled into buying pirated or counterfeit goods resulting in monetary loss. Hong Kong Customs will step up enforcement actions against online sale of counterfeit products.

Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, it is a criminal offence to sell goods with forged trade marks. The maximum penalty is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years. Anyone who comes across any suspected online piracy activities is encouraged to report to Customs by calling the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182.

Hong Kong: Customs seizes hand cream infringing Trade Descriptions Ordinance (with photo)

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The Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) seized 169 tubes of hand cream, named Yunfuhon, suspected of infringing the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO) in a series of raids on five drug stores and a warehouse conducted from November 9 to 11. Eight men and two women, aged between 29 and 56, including suppliers, drug store proprietors and shop assistants, were arrested.

Acting on reports about drug stores suspected of selling hand cream with false descriptions, Customs officers carried out investigations and a sample of the hand cream was tested by the Government Laboratory. Test results revealed that the hand cream did not contain any urea as claimed in the product description on its box.

Customs officers then raided five drug stores in Yaumatei, Tseung Kwan O, Tsuen Wan and Causeway Bay and a warehouse in San Po Kong and seized 169 tubes of hand cream suspected of infringing the TDO.

The C&ED attaches importance to the fight against activities contravening the TDO. The department will take rigorous enforcement action to crack down on sales of fake or falsely described goods in the market.

Customs appeals to retailers and shop owners to beware of any unknown source of goods. Under the TDO, it is a criminal offence to sell or supply goods with false trade descriptions to a material degree. The maximum penalty upon conviction is imprisonment for five years and a fine of $500,000.

Any person who comes across any information or activities on selling of suspected falsely described goods should report it to Customs by calling the 24-hour hotline 2545 6182.

Hong Kong: Customs foils a drug trafficking attempt at airport (with photo)

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Hong Kong Customs yesterday (November 9) foiled a drug trafficking attempt at the airport and arrested a 40-year-old man suspected of trafficking some 920 grams of cannabis resin with an estimated market value of $90,000.

Yesterday afternoon, Customs officers of the Airport Command intercepted a male passenger arriving from India via Bangladesh at the Hong Kong International Airport for Customs clearance. Two slabs of suspected cannabis resin, about 920 grams in total, were found concealed underneath the insoles of the sports shoes he was wearing. Officers of the Customs Drug Investigation Bureau took over the case for follow-up investigations.

The man, who claimed to be a businessman, was charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at the Tsuen Wan Magistrates Courts tomorrow (November 11).

Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, drug trafficking is a serious offence. The maximum penalty is up to life imprisonment and a fine of $5 million.