Police seize HK$10 million in illegal cigarettes after chasing overloaded truck in northern Hong Kong
- Officers became suspicious when vehicle was driving slowly on Fanling Highway near Lok Ma Chau border checkpoint
- As police gave chase, driver zigzagged along roads and ran red lights before finally coming to a stop
A police chase of an overloaded truck along a northern Hong Kong highway ended with the arrest of the driver and the seizure of about HK$10 million (US$1.29 million) worth of contraband cigarettes in the early hours of Wednesday.
Officers found a total of 3.6 million contraband cigarettes, including 2.5 million heat-not-burn ones, marking the biggest single haul of the non-combusted tobacco in four years.
Nearly HK$180 million worth of illegal cigarettes seized so far this year in Hong Kong
Police were still searching in the afternoon for a male passenger who managed to flee the scene.
The pursuit began at around 12.30am when officers from the New Territories North traffic unit spotted the vehicle driving slowly on Fanling Highway near the Lok Ma Chau border checkpoint. Officers suspected the vehicle was overloaded with goods.
According to the force, the driver ignored orders to pull over and accelerated. Police gave chase and called for reinforcements. The truck turned onto Kwu Tung Road, then Castle Peak Road and onto San Tin Highway bound for Yuen Long.
A police source said the driver was zigzagging and sped through two sets of red traffic lights during the pursuit. Officers intercepted the truck moments later on San Tin Highway near the junction at San Tam Road.
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“The driver and his male passenger jumped out of the vehicle and fled on foot,” Chief Inspector Chui Wing-luen said. “Police gave chase for about 300 metres and subdued the driver.”
Officers scouted the area, but no further arrests were made.
Chui said the truck had a permitted gross weight of 5.5 tonnes but was overloaded by 3.3 tonnes.
The 45-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, overloading a goods vehicle, failing to comply with a requirement made by police and possessing illicit cigarettes.
Dealing with, possessing, selling or buying illicit cigarettes carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail and a HK$1 million fine under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance.
The seizure of the 2.5 million heat-not-burn cigarettes was the biggest of its kind since records began in 2017, and more than double the previous record of 1.1 million in January.
