Hong Kong Customs detects dangerous drugs internal concealment case involving passenger at airport (with photo)

     Hong Kong Customs detected a dangerous drugs case involving internal concealment at Hong Kong International Airport on November 29 and seized about 680 grams of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $560,000.

     A 54-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Lagos, Nigeria, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on that day. During Customs clearance, Customs officers found him to be suspicious and suspected that the passenger had dangerous drugs concealed inside his body cavity. He was then escorted to the hospital for examination.

     Upon examination, the man was confirmed by a doctor to have foreign objects concealed inside his body cavity and was arrested subsequently. As at 5pm today (December 1), the arrested person has discharged 38 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 680g in total.

     A holding charge with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug has been laid against the arrested man. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (December 2).

     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.

     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 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).