Hong Kong Customs yesterday (July 19) seized about 10 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with an estimated market value of about $1.7 million at Hong Kong International Airport.
Customs officers inspected an air consignment arriving in Hong Kong from Canada yesterday and found the batch of suspected cannabis buds mixed inside boxes of cherries. Customs officers arrested a 38-year-old man suspected to be in connection with the case.
Investigation is ongoing.
Customs will maintain close contact with Hongkong Post and the logistics industries to step up action against drug trafficking through postal parcels or express courier channels.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Customs also reminds that cannabis and tetrahydro-cannabinol (THC) are classified as dangerous drugs under the Ordinance. Importation of products (including food and drinks) containing cannabis or THC into Hong Kong is prohibited unless the relevant provisions in the Ordinance are complied with. In order to avoid breaching the law inadvertently, special attention should be paid to the packaging labels of food and drinks.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).
Ends/Saturday, July 20, 2019
