Hong Kong Customs yesterday (June 13) seized about 6 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $5.5 million at Hong Kong International Airport.
A 46-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Paris, France via Doha, Qatar yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found three stuffed toys in his carry-on suitcase, in which 262 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 6kg in total were concealed. The man was 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/Friday, June 14, 2024
