Hong Kong customs seizes HK$712 million of illegal cigarettes in first 8 months of the year
- Amount of contraband is the most in a single 12-month period for past two decades
- If legally imported, illicit goods would have generated HK$493 million in tax
Hong Kong customs confiscated more than HK$712 million (US$91.6 million) worth of black-market cigarettes in the first eight months of 2021, making it the largest seizure of its kind in a single year over the past two decades.
The latest figures from the Customs and Excise Department showed that nearly 260 million illicit cigarettes had been seized in Hong Kong between January and August this year.
If legally imported, the contraband would have generated HK$493 million in tax.
The volume of this year’s seizure was up 26 per cent from 206 million untaxed cigarettes worth HK$563 million found in the whole of 2020. About 55 million cigarettes, with an estimated street value of HK$151 million, were confiscated in 2019.
A law enforcement source said illegal tobacco products were usually disguised as general commodities, such as food and furniture, and smuggled into the city from mainland China and other countries, including the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates.