​Hong Kong Customs yesterday (March 24) detected a dangerous drugs internal concealment case involving an incoming passenger at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 1.5 kilograms of suspected liquid cocaine with an estimated market value of about $1.5 million.
A female passenger, aged 52, arrived in Hong Kong from Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 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 6pm today (March 25), the arrested woman has excreted 44 pellets of suspected liquid cocaine weighing about 1.5kg in total.
A holding charge with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug has been laid against the arrested woman. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (March 26).
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.
With Easter holidays approaching, Customs believes that the local demand for drugs will increase. The department will therefore further step up enforcement action to fiercely combat different kinds of dangerous drug trafficking activities during the long holidays. Customs again reminds the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. 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, March 25, 2024
