Hong Kong Customs yesterday (July 7) seized about 7 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with an estimated market value of about $1.3 million in Shatin. A man was arrested.
During an anti-narcotics operation conducted in Shatin yesterday afternoon, Customs officers intercepted a man and found the batch of suspected cannabis buds and a batch of drug packaging paraphernalia inside a carton box, a paper bag and luggage carried by him. The man was subsequently arrested.
The arrested man is 31 years old and claimed to be a transportation worker. He has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at the Fanling Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (July 9).
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, cannabis and tetrahydro-cannabinol (THC) are classified as dangerous drugs. Importation of products (including food or 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 those products.
Trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
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/Friday, July 8, 2022
