Between January 1-April 15 this year, Hong Kong authorities have seized nearly 133 million illegal cigarettes worth an estimated HK$358 million (US$46 million). This figure is a 137% increase from what was seized in all of 2019.
In 2019 officials confiscated 56 million illegal cigarettes and 205 million in 2020. If the illegal cigarettes were imported legally, they would have generated HK$250 million in taxes.
The increase in seizure volume is attributed to enhanced enforcement actions, as well as smugglers using shipping containers, which could carry larger volumes of contraband cigarettes, as they had to use sea routes to smuggle cigarettes into Hong Kong due to the closure of major border checkpoints amid the coronavirus pandemic. Countries of origin included the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and mainland China.