7 arrested as Hong Kong customs foils HK$100 million contraband cigarette-smuggling operation
- About 28 million untaxed cigarettes confiscated in five shipping containers from mainland China, Taiwan and Thailand
- ‘We believe the illegal tobacco products were intended for the Hong Kong and overseas markets to meet demand during the Christmas and New Year holiday season,’ senior inspector says
Hong Kong customs officers have arrested seven people and seized HK$100 million (US$12.8 million) worth of black market cigarettes in a two-week crackdown on seaborne contraband smuggling activities ahead of the holiday season.
Declared as Christmas lights, flower pots and household products on import documents, the stash was hidden in five shipping containers that arrived from mainland China, Taiwan and Thailand between November 15 and 27, according to the Customs and Excise Department on Wednesday.
A source familiar with the operation said he believed that part of the haul, consisting of 20 cigarette brands, was intended for the local market. The rest was destined to be exported to other places, such as Australia.
“To avoid detection, [international cigarette smuggling] syndicates are using a ruse called the merry-go-round to keep illegal tobacco products circulating through different countries before being smuggled to their final destinations,” the source said.
Apart from the mainland, Taiwan and Thailand, he said the syndicates had also used such tactics for other jurisdictions, including Cambodia, Malaysia, South Korea and Vietnam.
