Hong Kong Customs seized illicit cigarettes worth HK$2.7 billion (US$345.4 million) in 2025. This is a 36 percent rise to 29,037 busts from 21,283 in the previous year. Authorities arrested 28,580 people for carrying or smuggling cigarettes, a 41 percent increase in passengers arrested since 2024. Customs Chief Chan Tsz-tat revealed smugglers use many methods to hide cigarettes. These include wrapping them on their bodies, inside underwear, wheelchairs, and prams. Alarmingly, some parents have used their children, who cross the border for school, to smuggle cigarettes. Chan said, "Passengers have used myriad methods to conceal cigarettes, from wrapping them on their bodies or in their underwear to using wheelchairs and prams. Some parents had even used their children who cross the border for school to smuggle cigarettes." When children are caught carrying more than the duty-free limit, social workers take care of them while authorities contact their families. Chan explained some smuggling groups hire people to bring small amounts of illicit cigarettes by air, using passengers to avoid large shipments detection. Despite higher taxes and tougher penalties, cigarette smuggling remains a serious challenge for Hong Kong Customs.