Hong Kong airport drug busts net two mainland travellers
SingTao · 4 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong Customs said it uncovered two separate drug trafficking cases involving arriving air passengers at Hong Kong International Airport on September 15 and 16, arresting a 61-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man from mainland China. The seizures involved about 3.5 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds and about 1 kilogram of suspected cocaine, with a total estimated value of about HK$1.45 million.
Key Points
- In the first case on September 15, customs officers cleared a 61-year-old mainland Chinese woman arriving from Bangkok and found suspected cannabis buds in her carry-on baggage.
- The suspected cannabis buds weighed about 3.5 kilograms and were estimated to be worth about HK$700,000; that case remains under investigation.
- In the second case on September 16, a 29-year-old mainland Chinese man arrived from Kuala Lumpur and was found carrying suspected cocaine inside his shoes.
- The suspected cocaine weighed about 1 kilogram and was estimated to be worth about HK$750,000; SingTao said the drugs were concealed in modified insoles.
- The man has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and was due to appear at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on September 17.
Why It Matters
The cases show customs officers are continuing to target inbound passengers from what the department describes as higher-risk origins under a risk-management approach. Under Hong Kong's Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, drug trafficking carries a maximum penalty of a HK$5 million fine and life imprisonment, underlining the legal consequences for cross-border couriers.