Hong Kong Customs yesterday (January 13) detected a drug trafficking case involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport. About 18 kilograms of suspected liquid cocaine with an estimated market value of about $18 million were seized.
A 37-year-old female passenger and a 59-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia yesterday. During Customs clearance, 12 wine bottles which contained a total of about 18kg of suspected liquid cocaine were seized in their check-in suitcases. The duo were 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/Sunday, January 14, 2024
