Hong Kong Customs reportedly seized untaxed cigarettes worth about HK$3.1 million and arrested two men during a late-night raid on a suspected storage site in Ping Che, Fanling, on 19 August 2026. The cigarettes had an estimated dutiable value of about HK$2.2 million.
Customs officers on an anti-illicit-cigarette patrol intercepted the men at about 11pm near a metal-sheet structure off Ping Che Road, where they were allegedly moving goods. Officers then searched the site and a vehicle parked outside.
About 400,000 cigarettes were reportedly found inside the structure, while a further 280,000 were found in the vehicle. The reports gave different overall totals for the seizure, so the location-specific figures are cited here instead. The vehicle was seized as allegedly connected to the case.
The arrested men were a 56-year-old local man who reportedly identified himself as a truck driver and a 44-year-old Mainland Chinese man who reportedly identified himself as unemployed. The supplied reports confirm their arrests but do not say that either man has been charged or convicted.
According to Customs’ preliminary investigation as reported, the local man transported the cigarettes to the metal-sheet site for the Mainland man, whom Customs believed was responsible for the premises. These reported roles remain part of the investigation.
Customs reportedly believed the suspected group handled the cigarettes late at night in a remote area to reduce the risk of detection. The agency said it would continue investigating the source of the cigarettes and did not rule out further arrests.