The Customs & Excise Department has arrested 15 people aged 20 to 56, after confiscating 3.6 million illicit cigarettes worth $10 million, with a duty potential of $6.9 million in a three-week crackdown.
Customs officers arrested 12 men and three women and impounded two cross-boundary vehicles believed to be used for ferrying illicit cigarettes.
Officers also cracked down on three suspected illicit cigarette storage points and detained seven cars apparently being used to distribute the cigarettes.
In the first nine months of this year, the department cracked 16 major smuggling cases involving a total of 28 million illicit cigarettes. Each of the cases involved more than 500,000 cigarettes.
During the same period, a total of 8.8 million illicit cigarettes connected to downtown distribution activities were also seized.
Report suspected illicit cigarette activities by calling 2545 6182.
