Hong Kong Customs seized four bottles of cannabidiol (CBD) oil and about four grams of suspected cannabis buds with an estimated market value of about $5,000 at Hong Kong International Airport, Yau Ma Tei and Tseung Kwan O on February 6 and today (February 8). A man was arrested. This is the first case that Hong Kong Customs seized suspected CBD products after the new legislative control of CBD has come into effect on February 1.
Through risk assessment, Customs inspected one air parcel, which was declared as skin oil, arrived in Hong Kong from Denmark at the airport on February 6. Upon inspection, Customs officers found two bottles of suspected CBD oil. The total weight of the drugs was about 60 millilitres.
Customs officers today (February 8) mounted a controlled delivery operation in Yau Ma Tei and arrested a 30-year-old man, suspected to be connected with the case. Customs officers found two other bottles of suspected CBD oil and four grams of suspected cannabis buds upon premises search in his working place.
Later, Customs officers searched a residential premises in Tseung Kwan O, which was the home unit of the arrested man, and found a grinder containing traces of suspected cannabis buds inside the premises.
Investigation is ongoing.
The new legislative control of CBD has come into effect on February 1. CBD is under the same strict control as other dangerous drugs under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance from that day. With the commencement of the new regulation, Customs will step up enforcement action to intercept the import and transit movements of CBD products in various channels. At the same time, Customs will continue to apply risk assessment strategy to select passengers, cargoes and postal packets for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
Customs reminds members of the public not to bring any cannabis products or products containing CBD into Hong Kong. To avoid breaching the law inadvertently, they should also refrain from buying any CBD products, and pay attention to whether the products' packaging and labels contain wordings of CBD or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) when making any purchase. When in doubt, members of the public should not take the risk of buying these products or bringing them back to Hong Kong.
Customs will continue to maintain close contact with Hongkong Post and the logistics industries to step up action against drug trafficking through postal parcel 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.
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).
