The Macau Customs Service (SA) announced in a statement yesterday that a mainland man has been arrested for attempting to smuggle four bottles of Maotai from Macau to Zhuhai by hiding them in his bag and in two infant formula cans.
Macau customs officers said that the incident happened on Friday afternoon. Customs officers intercepted a 37-year-old mainland man who while walking through the Barrier Gate checkpoint acted suspiciously.
Customs officers found him carrying two bottles of Maotai in his bag, four empty Maotai boxes, and two cans of infant formula.
Customs officers asked the man to open the two cans, and found each one had one bottle of Maotai hidden inside. None of the four bottles of Maotai had an export declaration document.
Upon investigation, the man told the police that he bought the alcohol in a so-called “water-goods street” near the Barrier Gate for the purpose of drinking it at home, but he failed to show the purchase invoices to the police.
The Chinese term “water-goods street” (水貨街) customarily refers to an area where parallel goods traders store and distribute their products.
The statement noted that the suspect faces a fine of up to 50,000 patacas for violating Macau’s External Trade Law.
The statement urged members of the public to report suspected smuggling by contacting the Macau Customs Service by phone (2896 5001), fax (2896 5003), or email info@customs.gov.mo.
This handout photo provided by Macau Customs Service (SA) yesterday shows four bottles of Maotai and two infant formula cans used by a smuggler from the mainland to hide two of the bottles.
