Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 5) detected two passenger drug trafficking cases at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 3.4 kilograms of suspected cannabis resin and about 500 grams of suspected cocaine with a total estimated market value of about $700,000.
In the first case, a 27-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Delhi, India, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 3.4kg of suspected cannabis resin and about 180g of suspected cocaine concealed inside a false compartment of his checked-in suitcase. The man was subsequently arrested.
The second case involved a 48-year-old male passenger who arrived in Hong Kong from Paris, France, yesterday. 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, he was confirmed by a doctor to have foreign objects concealed inside his body. He was arrested immediately. As at 5pm today (December 6), the arrested man has discharged 23 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 320g in total.
The arrested man of the first case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (December 7). The investigation of the second case is ongoing.
Following the increasing number of visitors to Hong Kong, 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/Wednesday, December 6, 2023
