​Hong Kong Customs yesterday (March 11) detected a dangerous drugs internal concealment case involving an incoming passenger at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 640 grams of suspected methamphetamine with an estimated market value of about $350,000.
A 30-year-old male passenger yesterday arrived in Hong Kong from Entebbe, Uganda via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. During Customs clearance, Customs officers found him to be suspicious, and suspected that he had dangerous drugs concealed inside his body cavity. The man was then escorted to hospital for examination.
Upon examination, Customs officers yesterday confirmed that foreign objects were concealed inside his body cavity. The man was arrested immediately. As at 6pm today (March 12), the arrested man has excreted 49 pellets of suspected methamphetamine weighing about 640g in total.
The arrested man will be charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (March 13).
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. This case is the first dangerous drugs internal concealment case detected by Customs in the last two months or so. 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/Sunday, March 12, 2023
