Chinese man fined $850K for selling cigarettes with no manufacturing date

A St Catherine businessman has been slapped with over $850,000 in fines after he was caught selling uncustomed cigarettes, including products with no manufacturing date, in Spanish Town.

Guan Xing was hauled before the St Catherine Parish Court, where he was fined $825,063.20 or six months imprisonment for breaches of the Customs Excise Duty Act, and an additional $25,000 or 10 days imprisonment for selling cigarettes without a manufacturing date.

The total fine must be paid upfront, as Acting Parish Court Judge Janelle Nelson-Gayle made it clear she was not granting any time for payment. Xing was subsequently taken into custody as he awaits payment.

In outlining the penalty, the judge noted that under the law, fines must reflect five times the value of each cigarette involved in the breach.

Reports are that on December 5, 2026, police carried out an operation at a wholesale establishment along Wellington Street in Spanish Town, St Catherine.

During a search of the premises, officers discovered 16 cartons of uncustomed cigarettes. Further checks revealed that some of the products had no manufacturing date and other irregularities.

The cigarettes were seized, and Xing was arrested and later charged following a question-and-answer session.

- Rasbert Turner

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