|
HONG KONG, Jan. 16 (Xinhuanet)
Hong Kong customs smashed a syndicate involved
in smuggling, storage and distribution of illicit cigarettes Monday,
said the customs officers.
During the operation, customs officers seized
from an illicit cigarette storage center in North Point about 900,000
sticks of illicit cigarettes, worth about 1.3 million HK dollars
(170,000 U.S. dollars) with duty potential of about 720,000 HK dollars.
Two men and a woman, aged between 37 and 61,
were arrested, including the syndicate mastermind.
The customs believed that the illicit cigarettes
were smuggled into Hong Kong by sampans, and would be delivered
by van for local sale.
Those arrested will be charged with "dealing
with goods to which the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance was applied"
and the maximum penalty would be a fine of one million HK dollars
and two years' imprisonment. Enditem
Source by : http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-01/17/content_4060149.htm
|