​Hong Kong Customs yesterday (February 19) detected a passenger drug trafficking case at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 780 grams of suspected methamphetamine with an estimated market value of about $440,000. An incoming woman was arrested.
A 27-year-old female passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Antananarivo, Madagascar, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found the batch of suspected methamphetamine concealed inside a false compartment of her leather handbag. The woman was subsequently arrested.
The arrested woman has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (February 21).
Following the resumption of normal travel and exchanges with the Mainland and other parts of the world, the number of visitors to Hong Kong has also been increasing steadily. Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
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).
Ends/Monday, February 20, 2023
