Customs seize HK$23m worth of cannabis in 18 wheels, arrest one

Customs have arrested a 36-year-old driver after officers seized about HK$23 million worth of cannabis buds from 18 vehicle wheels arriving in Hong Kong from the US. 

Through risk assessment, customs inspected a seaborne consolidated consignment, declared as carrying auto parts, arriving from the US at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound on April 5. 

Upon a closer inspection, officers seized the batch of suspected cannabis buds from 18 vehicle wheels inside the consignment. The cannabis buds weighed about 100 kg and were worth around HK$23 million. 

Customs later conducted a controlled delivery operation and arrested a 36-year-old male consignee, who claimed to be a driver, in Kwai Chung on April 8. 

The investigation is ongoing and the arrested man has been released on bail pending further investigation. 

Customs said hiding cannabis buds in seaborne consignments has become a more usual practice for criminals and recalled a similar case from Thailand, in which officers seized 35 kg of the drug worth HK$7.1 million in the compartments of wooden dining tables on March 6. 

As of April 10 this year, customs detected 117 cases and seized 1,282 kg of cannabis buds, surpassing the annual figures logged between 2020 and 2022. 

During the operations, officers arrested 31 people in total, including two teenagers aged 13 and 14 respectively. 

Customs also warned that trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offense and the maximum penalty upon conviction carries a HK$5 million fine and life imprisonment. 

+1