On February 6, 2025, shortly after the conclusion of the Lunar New Year holiday, Kaohsiung Customs (KHC) identified a high-risk 40-foot transshipment container (from Vietnam and en route to Ireland) at Pier S3, based on risk analysis. Upon inspection and opening of the container, officials discovered it was nearly full of undeclared cigarettes, suspected to be in violation of the Customs Anti-Smuggling Act and the Tobacco and Alcohol Administration Act. The goods were promptly seized by customs. The total quantity of the illicit cigarettes amounted to 1,250 boxes (625,000 packs), with an estimated market value exceeding NT$ 43 million

The customs indicated that high prices of tobacco products in the market are driven by factors such as tobacco health and welfare surcharges as well as tobacco and alcohol taxes. These elevated prices incentive smugglers to take risk in pursuit of high profits, thereby severely undermining national tax revenue. Additionally, due to the difficulty in controlling the quality of smuggled tobacco products, there are significant concerns regarding the potential harm to public health.

The Customs reiterated its critical role in border control and anti-smuggling efforts, with a focus on tackling tobacco smuggling. To safeguard national tax revenue and public health, Customs keep intensifying investigation actions to prevent the entry of untaxed tobacco products. The public is also urged to report any smuggling activities through the free hotline: 0800-711117.

Division: Mobile Inspection and Auditing Division
Contact: Hu, Guo Ciang
Contact: 07-5628377