​Hong Kong Customs on November 11 detected a dangerous drugs internal concealment case involving an incoming passenger at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 890 grams of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $1.1 million.
A female passenger, aged 21, arrived in Hong Kong from Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Istanbul, Türkiye, on that day. 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, a doctor confirmed that foreign objects were concealed inside the passenger's body cavity. The woman was arrested immediately. As at 1pm today (November 13), the arrested person had discharged 74 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 890g 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 (November 14).
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, November 13, 2023
