Hong Kong authorities intercept illegal cigarettes hidden in speakers at Shenzhen border crossing
- One source says the efforts at concealment indicate smugglers are transitioning to more sophisticated methods
- The bust comes amid a massive surge in tobacco smuggling, with seizures in the first six months of this year representing a 15-year record high
Some HK$1.7 million (US$219,342) worth of contraband cigarettes were found concealed in a shipment of hi-fi speakers on Tuesday, in what one law enforcement source said was an indication that smugglers were resorting to more sophisticated methods in an attempt to avoid detection.
The source said the new tactics came amid a massive surge in cigarette smuggling, with customs officers confiscating 111 million illicit cigarettes – valued at an estimated HK$304 million in the underground market – between January and June this year, a fivefold increase from the 20 million cigarettes seized in the same period last year.
“The cigarettes seized in the first six months of this year are a 15-year half-year record high,” the source said.
About two-thirds of the contraband intercepted this year was seized from a syndicate that used shipping containers to smuggle illicit cigarettes into the city from different countries.
“We have noticed recently that smugglers have used sophisticated concealment methods to avoid our detection,” the source said.