Zhuhai Customs announced in a statement yesterday that its officers have seized 720,200 cigarettes from an outbound lorry.
According to the statement, late on July 31, Zhuhai customs officers at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Zhuhai checkpoint outbound freight inspection site discovered an anomaly while inspecting a lorry.
A follow-up inspection revealed 3,601 cartons containing 720,200 cigarettes concealed in insulated foam and brown cardboard boxes, wrapped in woven plastic bags.
Gongbei Customs reminded the public that tobacco products are restricted items for entry into the Chinese mainland. According to relevant regulations, frequent border crossers (those entering the mainland more than once within 15 days) are allowed a duty-free allowance of 40 cigarettes (including heated cigarettes), or two cigars, or 40 grams of pipe tobacco each time they enter the mainland.
Macau Customs seizes 3,000 boxes of medicines
Meanwhile, the Pharmaceutical Supervision and Administration Bureau (ISAF) announced in a statement yesterday that its officials, together with Macau Customs Service officers, busted a mobile parallel-trading den, seizing around 3,000 boxes of medicines.
On Monday, according to the statement, ISAF officials and customs officers discovered that a van in the car park of an industrial building in the peninsula’s northern district was being used for storage and as a mobile parallel trading den for illegally imported products.
The about 3,000 boxes of various kinds of medicine were seized from the vehicle, including painkillers, erectile dysfunction medication, and oral or topical proprietary Chinese medicines. Among these were products that had not been registered or approved for import by ISAF. The person in charge of the trading company associated with the van is suspected of illegally importing and supplying unregistered pharmaceuticals, proprietary Chinese medicines, and natural remedies.
The bureau has initiated an investigation in accordance with the law, and the Macau Customs Service is also investigating the trading company for violating import regulations.
In the statement, the pharma bureau reminded the public that according to relevant laws and regulations, only premises licensed by it are authorised to store and supply medicines. Furthermore, the import of pharmaceuticals requires prior approval and an import licence issued by the bureau. Violators may be subject to a maximum fine of 700,000 patacas, and severe cases may result in criminal liability.
This undated handout photo provided by Zhuhai Gongbei Customs shows 3,601 cartons totalling 720,200 cigarettes seized by customs officers at the Zhuhai checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge on July 31.
This undated handout provided by the Pharmaceutical Supervision and Administration Bureau (ISAF) yesterday shows around 3,000 boxes of medicines discovered at a mobile parallel trading den in Macau peninsula’s northern district on Monday.
