Hong Kong confirms rise in smuggling..

April 15, 2011 - According to the China Daily, the Legislative Council Panel on Security held a special meeting on Friday to discuss the situation concerning the illicit trade in cigarettes that has risen since the increase of 41.5 per cent in the tobacco duty on 23 February. (Hong Kong - Tax increase adds HK$10 (1.28 USD) to cigarette price..)

At the panel meeting, Tam Yiu-keung, assistant commissioner of the Customs and Excise Department said that in recent years, sales of illicit cigarettes through "telephone booking" have been on the rise, coupled with an increase of cross-border couriers carrying small quantities each time.

The department says it will augment law enforcement on various fronts, including raids, the use of undercover agents and tracking of warehouses where illicit cigarettes are stocked.

Several lawmakers expressed concern about the limited number of customs officers deployed to tackle illicit cigarettes. (pi)

Reference: Hong Kong confirms rise in smuggling, Tobacco Journal International, 4/11/2011.

Hong Kong related news briefs:
Hong Kong - convenience store chains cut cost of cigarettes by HK$2;
Hong Kong - Tax increase adds HK$10 (1.28 USD) to cigarette price..;
Hong Kong - govt officials meet with tobacco companies ahead of next week's budget..;
Hong Kong - Council on Smoking and Health has called for a raise in tobacco tax to at least 75% of retail price..;
Hong Kong - latest survey - proportion of smokers in younger age group dropped by 10%..;
Hong Kong - as of December 1st smoking ban extended to 131 bus terminals..;
Study - many benefits including improvement in your sex life when you quit tobacco..;
Hong Kong - from August 1, incoming passengers allowed to import a maximum of 19 cigarettes, one cigar or 25 g of cut tobacco..;
Hong Kong - ways to beat the smoking ban..;
Hong Kong - smokers defy smoking ban, no penalty for owners of
venues..;
China - can they learn tobacco control from Hong Kong??;
Hong Kong - 50% increase in tax on tobacco products approved..;
Hong Kong - cigarettes too cheap, tax only 61 and 66 percent of retail price..;
Hong Kong study - further proof, women have a harder time quitting cigarettes..;
Hong Kong - as of November 1st no tobacco advertising at newsstands - now display boxes..;
Member states of WHO's Western Pacific region agree to new tobacco control action plan..;
Hong Kong - Is the fixed-penalty fine for smoking offenses effective?;
Hong Kong - more unions are starting to enforce extended smoking ban..
Hong Kong - unions refuse to hand out penalty tickets for smoking..
Hong Kong - tobacco smokers may be prone to developing life-threatening complications from swine flu..;
Hong Kong - total smoking ban in full force no exceptions..
Hong Kong - total smoking ban in effect - Wednesday, July 1, 2009..;
Hong Kong - smoking statistics..;
Hong Kong - movie poster woman smoking - NOT ALLOWED..;
Hong Kong - bar owners an employees march to protest smoking ban starting July 1, 2009..;
Hong Kong - attempt to delay July 1, 2009 smoking ban fails..;
Hong Kong - cigarette smuggling soars after tax increase..;
Hong Kong - Tax on cigarettes pushed up by 50 percent..;
Honk Kong - smoking increase raise tobacco duties??;
Hong Kong - temporary smoking ban exemption ends July 1, 2009..;
Hong Kong - after smoking ban cigarette consumption up 14 percent..;
Hong Kong - public smoking ban - smoking rooms??;
Shanghai Tobacco's Golden Deer Cigarettes - Hong Kong..;
More on Philip Morris International of the Future...