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Tag: arrest

  • Hong Kong Man Gets 6 Months for Smuggling 40K Alternative Products

    Hong Kong Man Gets 6 Months for Smuggling 40K Alternative Products

    A man was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment today (January 20) for illegally importing 40,000 alternative smoking products into Hong Kong. The Department of Health said the products, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco items, were intercepted in his luggage on arrival from Guangzhou, and the sentence serves as a strong deterrent.

    Since tougher tobacco control amendments took effect in September 2025, the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office has prosecuted 15 similar cases, with 17 offenders jailed for up to six months. Authorities reiterated that importing, selling, or possessing alternative smoking products for commercial purposes is illegal and punishable with fines up to HK$2 million ($260,000) and seven years imprisonment.

  • Serbian Man Charged in Bulgaria for Smuggling Shisha Tobacco

    Serbian Man Charged in Bulgaria for Smuggling Shisha Tobacco

    Bulgarian prosecutors charged a 35-year-old Serbian man with smuggling 302.4 kg of shisha tobacco across the Kalotina border crossing. Customs officials said the driver declared the load as separators bound for Türkiye, but an X-ray inspection uncovered 62 boxes of undeclared tobacco hidden in the truck. The driver is being held for 72 hours while prosecutors seek his remand in custody.

  • Pakistan Empowers Provincial Officials to Seize Illicit Cigarettes

    Pakistan Empowers Provincial Officials to Seize Illicit Cigarettes

    Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) authorized provincial officials—including deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, and excise officers—to raid and seize smuggled or tax-evading cigarettes at retail outlets, warehouses, and in transit. Under the order, provincial officers can now target counterfeit or untaxed cigarettes and their transport vehicles. All seized goods will be handed over to the nearest Regional Tax Office for further legal action.

    Seized cigarettes lacking valid tax stamps, or with fake ones, will be confiscated and destroyed, with seizures reported to the FBR within 48 hours using a newly developed application. The move is aimed at curbing illicit cigarette trade and ensuring compliance with excise regulations across Pakistan.