Customs detected a case of smuggling cigarettes on the sea surface of Yau Ma Tei Anchorage this Monday (9th), seized about 24 million suspected illicit cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about 66 million yuan and a taxable value of about 46 million yuan, and arrested two 45-year-old and 50-year-old men, respectively.
Senior Inspector Cai Xianming (right) of the Maritime Operations Team of the Customs Port and Maritime Division and Tang Jiajun (left), a Senior Inspector of the Maritime Investigation Team of the Customs Port and Maritime Division, briefly describe the case (Photo by Cai Zhengbang)
Cai Xianming, Senior Inspector of the Maritime Operations Group of the Customs Port and Sea Area Division, briefly described the case. Customs conducted risk management analysis on Monday and suspected that a barge was involved in smuggling activities. At 9:30 am on the same day, the barge was stopped by a regional patrol boat. There are 3 containers and 2 local crew members on board.
The law enforcement officers asked them to show the cargo manifest, but they could not provide it, nor could they tell the type of the cargo, which aroused suspicion; they asked them to open the container, and found a large amount of unpaid illicit cigarettes, and they were arrested immediately.
Cai Xianming pointed out that the smuggling group chooses to smuggle during the morning when the sea traffic is busy, and uses the working barge as a cover to increase the difficulty of law enforcement.
Deng Jiajun, Senior Inspector of the Sea Area Investigation Team of the Customs Port and Sea Area Division, further pointed out that usually barges transport dozens of containers or more, but the barge involved transported 3 containers, which made the customs officers suspicious and stopped the investigation, but the crew refused to provide barges and The information on the goods was also vague to all the questions, so they asked to open and search all of them.
There are a total of 24 million illicit cigarettes in the three containers, with a market value of about 66 million yuan and a taxable price of 46 million yuan.
Deng continued that since late last year, together with this case, the Customs has intercepted illicit cigarettes smuggled by barge for the fourth time. The total value of illicit cigarettes seized was 340 million yuan, and a total of 14 people were arrested.
He warned that smuggling is a serious crime, and upon conviction, he could be fined $2 million and imprisoned for 7 years.
Members of the public may call the Customs reporting hotline at 2545 6182 or email crimereports@custom.hk if they discover suspected smuggling activities.