Cigarettes, silver, and used electronics continue to top cases of smuggling

Tobacco products, e-cigarettes, silver pellets, and used electronics continue to top the list of products most often caught by the authorities while attempting to be smuggled across the border.

In the most recent report, the Customs Service (SA) has announced that between May 29 and June 4, the force intercepted 14 new cases of attempts to smuggle these products in or out of Macau.

The cases were detected at the Border Gate, Macau International Airport (MIA), and the Macau Port of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (HKZMB), resulting in the seizure of 73,000 e-cigarettes, 42,000 cigarettes, approximately 55 kilograms of suspected silver pellets, and 88 used computer processors.

According to SA, the cases involving e-cigarettes and cigarettes were found at the MIA and at the Macau Port of the HKZMB. They involved three residents from the mainland who were carrying such products in their luggage, attempting to bring them into Macau.

During the same period, Customs officers at the Border Gate exit passenger inspection area discovered another four mainland residents and seven local residents carrying suspected silver pellets and used computer processors hidden under their clothing and attached to their bodies, attempting to smuggle these into the mainland.

The 14 individuals involved in the different cases were aged between 17 and 76 years old. The SA has prosecuted them under the Foreign Trade Law and, as in similar cases, if the illegal acts are proven, they could be fined up to MOP100,000. All seized goods will be confiscated and revert to the Macau Special Administrative Region.

In addition, two suspects have been forwarded to the Health Bureau for follow-up due to suspected violations of the Smoking Prevention and Control Regulations and are being subjected to additional charges.