Woman arrested for smuggling in HK$600k worth of drugs within body

Customs announced on Friday that they busted a drug trafficking case on October 25 (Wed) and seized about 570 grams of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about HK$600,000.

A 53-year-old female passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Bogata, Colombia, via Paris, France, on Wednesday (Oct 25).

During customs clearance, customs officers found her suspicious and suspected that she may have had drugs concealed inside her body. She was escorted to the hospital for an examination.

Upon examination, a doctor confirmed that she had foreign objects concealed inside her body.

She was arrested immediately and had excreted a pellet of suspected cocaine weighing about 570g, with an estimated market value of about HK$600,000.

The woman was charged with a count of trafficking in dangerous drugs, and she will have to appear at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (Oct 28).

Customs spokesman stated that they 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.

The spokesman added that under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in dangerous drugs is a serious offense, with the maximum penalty upon conviction being a fine of HK$5 million and life imprisonment.