Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 28) detected two dangerous drugs trafficking cases involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport. A total of 30 kilograms of suspected ketamine was seized with an estimated market value of about $14 million.
The first case involved a local male passenger and a local female passenger, aged 25 and 24. They arrived in Hong Kong from Frankfurt, Germany yesterday. During customs clearance of the checked luggage of the male passenger, a total of 15kg of suspected ketamine were found concealed in 15 plastic bags. The man was subsequently arrested. After a follow-up investigation, the local female passenger suspected to be connected with the case was also arrested at the airport on the same day.
The second case involved a 47-year-old local female passenger. She arrived in Hong Kong from Frankfurt, Germany via Taipei yesterday. During customs clearance of her checked luggage, 10 packages of suspected ketamine, weighting a total of 15kg, were found concealed separately in food and washing powder packagings and covered by clothes in the luggage. She was subsequently arrested.
The arrested man and woman in the first case have been jointly charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug, while the woman arrested in the second case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. Both cases will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (December 30).
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).
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