Illicit cigarette sales in Hong Kong have increasingly shifted online following the implementation of tighter enforcement rules targeting duty evasion, according to media reports. After the Tobacco Control Legislation (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 took effect in September, requiring cigarettes priced below the tobacco duty to prove they are duty-paid, many newsstands and retailers stopped selling “cheap whites.” In response, illicit wholesalers moved the products online to social media and messaging platforms to solicit customers directly.
Reports indicate that some wholesalers are advertising on Facebook and WhatsApp, using discounts, referral incentives, and giveaways to attract buyers. To avoid platform detection, sellers often use “IN” instead of the Chinese word for “cigarette,” relying on images of cigarette packs or smoking imagery to signal the products being offered. Orders are typically handled via private WhatsApp or Telegram groups, with sellers promoting same-day or next-day delivery across Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Customs said it is monitoring these developments and adjusting enforcement strategies accordingly. Authorities said their approach combines risk assessment and intelligence analysis, including action against cross-border smuggling, storage and distribution centers, and street-level and online peddling.