Hong Kong Customs yesterday (April 9) detected a dangerous drugs internal concealment case involving an incoming passenger at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 1 kilogram of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $900,000.
A 35-year-old female passenger yesterday arrived in Hong Kong from Nairobi, Kenya via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. During Customs clearance, Customs officers found her to be suspicious, and suspected that she had dangerous drugs concealed inside her body cavity. The woman was then escorted to hospital for examination.
While waiting for examination in the hospital, the woman discharged suspected cocaine in the washroom and was then arrested immediately. As at 6pm today (April 10), the arrested woman has excreted 67 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 1 kg in total.
The arrested woman 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 (April 11).
The volume of tourists has been continuously rising since the return of normal travel and exchanges with the Mainland and other regions of the world. To combat transnational drug trafficking activities, Customs will continue to adopt a risk assessment approach and concentrate on selecting travelers from high-risk regions for clearance.
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, April 10, 2023
