Hong Kong Customs detected two dangerous drugs internal concealment cases involving two passengers at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 2.2 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $2.7 million over the past two days (November 3 and 4).
The first case involved a 48-year-old male passenger who arrived in Hong Kong from Entebbe, Uganda via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on November 3. During Customs clearance, Customs officers suspected that the passenger had dangerous drugs concealed inside his body cavity. He was then escorted to the hospital for examination. Upon examination, the man was confirmed by a doctor to have foreign objects concealed inside his body cavity. He was arrested immediately. As at 4pm today (November 5), the arrested man has discharged 68 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 1kg in total.
The second case involved a 34-year-old female passenger who arrived in Hong Kong from Johannesburg, South Africa, yesterday. During Customs clearance, Customs officers suspected that the passenger had dangerous drugs concealed inside her body cavity. She was then escorted to the hospital for examination. Upon examination, the woman was confirmed by a doctor to have foreign objects concealed inside her body cavity. She was arrested immediately. As at 4pm today, the arrested woman has discharged 98 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 1.2kg in total.
The arrested man of the first case was laid a holding charge with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (November 6). For the second case, 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/Sunday, November 5, 2023
