In recent years, Hong Kong Customs has noted an increasing trend in cases involving unlicensed money services provided through social media platforms. To effectively combat such illegal activities, Customs has intensified online patrols and enforcement efforts, and detected 23 cases of unlicensed money service operations and arrested 24 individuals in 2025, of which 22 cases involved the use of social media platforms. During the investigation of the unlicensed money service o

Hong Kong Customs mounted an enforcement operation codenamed "Mirage" on December 18 and 19 and successfully dismantled a money laundering syndicate. Five local persons suspected to be connected with the case were arrested. They were suspected of laundering about $8.9 billion in funds from unknown sources via fictitious trading activities. Acting upon intelligence, Customs targeted three local persons and initiated a financial investigation. It was revealed that the three per

Hong Kong Customs detected two suspected smuggling cases involving ocean-going vessels on October 27 and 31. Large batches of suspected smuggled goods with a total estimated market value of about $64 million were seized. Through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Customs discovered that criminals intended to use ocean-going vessels to smuggle goods. Enforcement operations were thus formulated, with two suspicious containers selected for inspection. Customs inspected a

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (November 12) raided a suspected illicit cigarette storage centre in Kwai Chung and seized about 240 000 suspected illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $1.08 million and a duty potential of about $790,000. Five persons suspected to be connected with the case were arrested. Through intelligence analysis and after a thorough investigation, Customs discovered that a cigarette smuggling syndicate had been using hotel rooms as illi

Hong Kong Customs mounted a special enforcement operation on October 20 and detected a case involving the sale of suspected counterfeit footwear products and money laundering by an online shop. A total of about 1 100 items of suspected counterfeit goods, including footwear and clothing, with a total estimated market value of about $2 million, were seized. The suspected crime proceeds generated from the sale of suspected counterfeit goods involved in the case amounted to $13 m

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (October 22) detected a case involving a local company that conducted transactions of silver and silver jewellery valued at over HK$120,000, without registration under the Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones Regulatory Regime. An investigation is ongoing. According to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615), the Regime came into effect on April 1, 2023. Any person who is seeking to carry on a business of dea

Hong Kong Customs detected two suspected smuggling cases involving ocean-going vessels on September 18 and 26. Large batches of suspected smuggled goods with a total estimated market value of about $170 million were seized. Through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Customs discovered that criminals intended to use ocean-going vessels to smuggle goods. Strategies were thus formulated, and four suspicious containers scheduled to depart from Hong Kong to Southeast Asia

According to the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109) amended by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region through the Tobacco Control Legislation (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, the duty stamp system will be implemented to help distinguish between duty-paid and duty-not-paid cigarettes. Hong Kong Customs launched a three-month pilot run for the duty stamp system on October 6 and plans to implement the first phase of the system in the fourth quarter of 20