Hong Kong Customs detected two suspected drug trafficking cases at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (February 7) and seized about 5.7 kilograms of suspected cocaine valued at about $6.1 million in total.
The first case involved an incoming female passenger arriving Hong Kong from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates yesterday morning. Customs officers found suspected liquid cocaine of about 3.2 kilograms inside three glass liquor bottles in her check-in suitcase. The arrested woman, aged 39, claimed to be a merchant.
The second case involved an incoming male passenger arriving Hong Kong from Brussels, Belgium via Dubai, United Arab Emirates last night. Customs officers found 168 pellets of suspected cocaine of about 2.5 kilograms inside four snack boxes in his hand-carry baggage. The arrested man, aged 22, claimed to be a construction worker.
The two arrested persons were each charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. They will appear at Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts on February 10.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment and a fine of $5 million.
Ends/Monday, February 8, 2016
