Police and Customs officers mounted a joint operation off Tai O on the night of August 13, 2026, and intercepted cigarettes reportedly worth more than HK$20 million in a suspected smuggling transfer. Police suspect speedboats had recently been used to smuggle cigarettes in waters west of Lantau.
The operation followed an investigation and intelligence analysis. It involved the Marine Police Special Task Force, the Outports District Special Task Force, the Marine Police West Division and the Customs and Excise Department’s Marine Enforcement Command.
Officers found two speedboats without navigation lights near the Tai O shoreline, where several men were transferring cargo to two lorries. The men then boarded the speedboats and fled when officers pursued them.
The boats eventually left Hong Kong’s southern waters and travelled in the direction of the mainland. The source report did not say whether anyone was arrested or identify the men involved.
It also did not provide the exact quantity or detailed valuation of the cigarettes, or explain what happened later to the two lorries and the suspected smuggled goods. The latest reported position is that the men had escaped, with no further arrest or enforcement outcome provided.