Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected dangerous drugs worth over $17 million in series of anti-narcotics operations (with photos)

     Hong Kong Customs conducted a series of anti-narcotics operations between June 5 and today (June 8) and detected four dangerous drugs trafficking cases. A batch of suspected dangerous drugs worth about $17.3 million in total was seized in various districts and Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), including about 41 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds, about 5kg of suspected cocaine, about 1.75kg of suspected ketamine, about 1.3kg of suspected cannabis resin and about 1kg of suspected methamphetamine. Nine men and two women, aged between 15 and 49, were arrested during the operations.

     Customs officers on June 5 inspected an air mail parcel arriving Hong Kong from the United Kingdom at HKIA and seized about 250 grams of suspected ketamine inside the parcel. After follow-up investigation, Customs officers today arrested a 40-year-old man suspected to be in connection with the case at a residential unit in Tai Wo Hau, where about 1kg of suspected methamphetamine and a batch of drug-packaging paraphernalia were further seized.

     On the next day (June 6), Customs officers inspected an air consignment at HKIA, declared as carrying soaps and cosmetics, arriving in Hong Kong from Brazil via Turkey. About 5kg of suspected cocaine was found concealed inside 70 bars of soap out of 864 bars. Four men and two women, aged between 15 and 49, suspected to be connected with the case were arrested in Yuen Long yesterday (June 7).

     Also, Customs officers had conducted anti-narcotics operations in town yesterday. The officers intercepted three men, aged between 29 and 43, in Tai Kok Tsui and Ma On Shan. About 41kg of suspected cannabis buds, about 1.3kg of suspected cannabis resin and a batch of drug-packaging paraphernalia were seized in one man's possession and the plastic bag he was carrying, in a residential unit in Tai Kok Tsui, a sub-divided unit in an industrial building in Tsuen Wan and a residential unit in Ma On Shan.

     During another anti-narcotics operation conducted in Ngau Chi Wan, Customs officers yesterday evening raided a 17-year-old man's residential unit in the district and found about 1.5kg of suspected ketamine concealed inside four metal cans. He was then arrested.

     Investigations of the four abovementioned cases are ongoing.

     Customs will continue to enhance enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary returns. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people, nor to release their personal data or home address to others for receiving parcels or goods.

     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 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).