Hong Kong Customs Seeks Removal of 64 Listings
Officials asked e-commerce and social media platforms to take down listings selling contraband ahead of the Double 11 Shopping Festival.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Drug Crime
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Hong Kong's Customs and Excise Department has made about 64 requests to remove listings of illicit items from Taobao, JD.com and Pinduoduo since signing agreements with the platforms over the past year. Sellers used code names, including one referencing Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei to market etomidate, also known as space oil.
Why it matters
The requests highlight how contraband such as drugs, weapons and restricted goods is marketed through live-stream and online commerce across borders. Customs says differing mainland and Hong Kong rules mean some items legal on the mainland are prohibited in the city.
Customs logged 64 removal requests, with food items such as raw meat, poultry and eggs making up 45 per cent, or 29 requests. Ten requests involved firearms including stun guns, and five involved weapons such as extendable batons and knuckle-dusters.
The players
Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department
The Hong Kong government department responsible for enforcing restrictions on contraband and prohibited goods entering and sold within the city.
Alibaba Group Holding
The Chinese technology conglomerate that operates the Taobao platform and also owns the South China Morning Post.
The details
Officers trained staff at Taobao, JD.com and Pinduoduo on restricted items under Hong Kong law and used artificial intelligence to help identify prohibited goods. Sellers relied on covert hand gestures in live-stream commerce and code words such as 'little blue pill' for Viagra and 'spray' for e-cigarettes.
Timeline
February, April and September 2026: Agreements signed with the three e-commerce platforms.
End of October 2026: Removal requests tallied at 64.
November 11, 2026: Double 11 Shopping Festival, with Customs stepping up online patrols and border checks.
2027: Customs hopes to sign agreements with more platforms.
Legal Context
Hong Kong's restrictions on prohibited items apply even when the same goods are legal on the mainland, creating a gap that online sellers exploit. Customs is now extending enforcement from border checkpoints into major e-commerce platforms.
Shoppers buying goods online across borders may find listings removed if they are prohibited in Hong Kong, even if legal on the mainland. Buyers should be aware that certain food, weapons and drug-related products can be blocked or seized during the upcoming shopping festival.
The takeaway
Online shoppers should check whether an item is permitted under local rules before buying across borders, since listings can be removed and shipments blocked.
What happens next
Customs plans to step up online patrols and border checks ahead of the Double 11 Shopping Festival on November 11, 2026, and hopes to sign agreements with more platforms in 2027.
Further reading
Explore more coverage in our Drug Crime section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by South China Morning Post.
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