Hong Kong Customs Tuesday announced that some 1.4 million sticks of illicit cigarettes worth about 2.67 million HK dollars were seized in an operation.
Customs officers on Monday intercepted a truck at an outdoor carpark in Tin Shui Wai, the New Territories, where some workmen were moving goods inside. The officers confiscated the cigarettes with a duty potential of 1.7 million HK dollars.
A 48-year-old male driver was arrested and the truck was also seized during the operation.
The smugglers had mixed the illicit cigarettes with cartons of plastic goods and entered Hong Kong via Man Kam To Control Point.
Under the Import and Export Ordinance, importing unmanifested cargo is a serious offense. The maximum penalty is a fine of 2 million HK dollars and imprisonment for seven years. (1 U.S. dollar =7.756 HK dollars) |
