Hong Kong Customs apprehended a baby milk formula offender trying to escape from Hong Kong.
According to the Hong Kong government, an unidentified woman pleaded guilty late last month at the Fanling Magistrates' Courts for illegally exporting powdered formula for infants and children under 36 months from Hong Kong, contravening the Import and Export (General) (Amendment) Regulation 2013. She was sentenced to immediate imprisonment of 35 days.
Hong Kong Customs intercepted the 37-year-old woman departing Hong Kong at the departure hall of Lo Wu Control Point. Customs officers found in her personal baggage four boxes of powdered formula, with a total net weight of 3.2 kilograms, which exceeded the limit of 1.8 kilograms. She had three previous conviction records for the same offence and was sentenced by the court to 21 days imprisonment suspended for 12 months in her most recent convicted case in November 2013.
The Import and Export (General) (Amendment) Regulation 2013 prohibits the unlicensed export of powdered formulas. The new rule defines "powdered formula" as a substance in powder form that is or appears to be for consumption by a person aged under 36 months; and is or appears to be milk or milk-like substance in powder form to satisfy wholly or partly the nutritional requirement of a person aged under 36 months.
To allow a reasonable quantity for personal use, the prohibition does not apply to powdered formula not exceeding 1.8 kilograms in total net weight that is exported in the accompanied personal baggage of a person leaving Hong Kong. However, the person must be aged 16 or above and must not have left Hong Kong in the last 24 hours.
Offenders are liable on conviction to a fine of HKD500,000 and to imprisonment for two years.