A man from Hong Kong and a Thai woman were found to have a total of 45.3 kilograms of marijuana in their suitcases at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the Taiwan authority announced on Wednesday (Sep 12).
The 24-year-old Hong Kong man, surnamed Chan, and the 62-year-old Thai woman, Khuibut, were on a flight from Bangkok to Hong Kong with a stop in Taoyuan on April 18 this year.
Taiwan customs discovered 22.65 kg of marijuana in each of their bags, which is valued at over NT$90 million (around HK$22.5 million).
The man was identified as a ground staff member of an airline. He claimed that he was carrying luggage for his friend, unaware that it contained drugs.
The Thai admitted she would receive HK$50,000 for transporting the drugs to Hong Kong.
The police noted that the Hong Kong suspect, familiar with baggage rules, knowingly engaged in illegal drug transport.
Under drug control laws, those found guilty of manufacturing, transporting, or selling Class II drugs face life imprisonment or a minimum of ten years in prison, along with fines of up to NT$15 million (about HK$ 3.6 million).
