​Hong Kong Customs yesterday (August 20) seized about 900 grams of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $700,000 at Hong Kong International Airport.
A 55-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Paris, France, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found four bottles of perfumes and two bottles of antiperspirants with false compartments in his checked-in luggage, in which the batch of suspected cocaine was concealed. The man was subsequently arrested.
An investigation is ongoing.
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) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).
Ends/Monday, August 21, 2023
