Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 18) detected a dangerous drugs internal concealment case involving a passenger at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 550 grams of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $600,000.
A male passenger, aged 39, arrived in Hong Kong from Johannesburg, South Africa, 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, a doctor confirmed that foreign objects were concealed inside his body cavity. He was arrested immediately. As at 6pm today (December 19), the arrested person has discharged 29 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 550 grams in total.
The arrested man 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 20).
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/Tuesday, December 19, 2023
