Two airport shoe cocaine cases net mainland men
Bastillepost · 5 SOURCESabout 21 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong Customs said it uncovered two separate drug trafficking cases at Hong Kong International Airport on September 16, with both involving suspected cocaine concealed inside shoes worn by arriving passengers from Kuala Lumpur. The newly reported second case involved a 29-year-old mainland Chinese man, also allegedly carrying about 1 kilogram of suspected cocaine with an estimated value of about HK$750,000. The first case involved a 26-year-old mainland Chinese man, who has been charged with trafficking in a dangerous drug and is due to appear at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on September 18. In the second case, the 29-year-old was also charged with trafficking in a dangerous drug and appeared at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on September 17
Key Points
- Customs said the two cases were both detected on September 16 at Hong Kong International Airport after the men arrived from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- In the first case, officers found about 1 kilogram of suspected cocaine inside the shoes of a 26-year-old mainland Chinese male traveller.
- The suspected cocaine in that first case had an estimated market or black-market value of about HK$750,000, according to Customs and local reports.
- A second mainland Chinese male traveller, aged 29, was also allegedly found with about 1 kilogram of suspected cocaine hidden in his shoes
- The 29-year-old’s case was heard at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on September 17, while the 26-year-old is scheduled to appear there on September 18.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong travellers, the back-to-back airport arrests suggest customs screening remains focused on body-worn concealment methods on inbound regional routes. The cases also show that similar smuggling tactics can be used repeatedly on the same day, increasing pressure on frontline checks at the airport.