30th November 2022 – (Hong Kong) The quantity of illicit cigarettes seized by the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), and the relevant prosecution and conviction figures of illicit cigarette cases detected by C&ED in the past five years are as follows:
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 (as at 21st November) | |
| Quantity (million sticks) | 53 | 55 | 205 | 427 | 640 |
| No. of prosecuted case#^ | 1,732 | 1,794 | 682 | 865 | 538 |
| – Smuggling | 1,003 | 1,131 | 303 | 236 | 104 |
| – Storage and Distribution | 212 | 158 | 106 | 176 | 95 |
| – Peddling | 517 | 505 | 273 | 453 | 339 |
| No. of convicted case*^ | 1,751 | 1,751 | 695 | 858 | 557 |
| – Smuggling | 1,026 | 1,109 | 307 | 249 | 111 |
| – Storage and Distribution | 212 | 154 | 103 | 159 | 107 |
| – Peddling | 513 | 488 | 285 | 450 | 339 |
| Maximum penalty | Imprisonment of 12 months | Imprisonment of 15 months | Imprisonment of 16 months | Imprisonment of 23 months | Imprisonment of 17 months |
| Minimum penalty | Fine at $200 | Fine at $200 | Fine at $300 | Fine at $200 | Fine at $300 |
#Cases with prosecution instituted during the year
*Cases with trial concluded during the year
^The number of cases was affected by the relevant COVID-19 measures (e.g. border control and adjournment of court hearings)
No counterfeit cigarettes were seized by C&ED during the aforementioned period. If C&ED suspects that any cigarettes seized or sold in the market are counterfeits, it will invite the relevant trademark owners to verify and take immediate enforcement action if C&ED identifies any acts in breach of law.
C&ED has all along been adopting intelligence-based enforcement strategies and taking comprehensive enforcement actions to combat illicit cigarette activities on different fronts, namely intercepting cross-boundary smuggling in upper stream, smashing storage and distribution activities in mid-stream, and raiding peddling activities in lower stream. C&ED also conducts surveillance operations from time to time against illicit cigarette activities across the territory in order to strengthen intelligence gathering and monitor illicit cigarettes activities.
C&ED will continue to strengthen its risk assessment and intelligence analysis, and enhance intelligence exchanges with the Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies in order to combat illicit cigarette activities at source. Besides, C&ED will step up publicity and promotion activities with regard to newsstands and small-sized retail outlet operators with a view to preventing them from contravening the law inadvertently.