Hong Kong Customs seizes $430m worth of drugs in three-month cross-border operation

Hong Kong Customs said it busted 183 drug trafficking cases between October and December last year in a joint operation with mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies, seizing about 1.4 metric tons of drugs with an estimated market value of more than HK$430 million and arresting 62 people.

The crackdown was carried out by the Customs and Excise Department’s Drugs Investigation Bureau and Airport Command. Of the cases handled during the three-month period, 40 involved passenger channels and 143 were related to cargo shipments. Those arrested ranged in age from 19 to 77 and came from multiple countries.

The drugs seized included about 443 kilograms of ketamine, 424 kilograms of cannabis, 377 kilograms of methamphetamine, 37 kilograms of cocaine, 12 kilograms of heroin, and 16 kilograms of ecstasy.

One of the largest passenger-related seizures occurred on October 20, when customs officers stopped a 32-year-old non-local man who arrived from Frankfurt, Germany.

A search of his two suitcases uncovered 40 kilograms of ketamine with an estimated value of HK$18 million.

Divisional Commander of Air Cargo 3 Mok Joanna said this was the highest-value drug seizure ever made from an arriving air passenger.

Another passenger case was detected on December 22, when a 25-year-old Hong Kong man arrived from Johannesburg, South Africa.

Officers became suspicious after his luggage remained unusually heavy even after clearance, and X-ray scans revealed irregularities. Further inspection found concealed panels inside the baggage containing 5.36 kilograms of suspected cocaine worth about HK$4 million.

Customs also made several major seizures involving air cargo.

On December 3, officers intercepted a wooden box shipped from Mexico and declared as containing lathe clamps. X-ray scans showed uneven density and shading that did not match the declared contents. The unusually high shipping cost also raised suspicions.

With assistance from the Fire Services Department, officers drilled into the metal clamps and found crystalline substances concealed inside. A total of 34.7 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine was recovered, with an estimated market value of HK$11.8 million.

In another cargo case on December 11, customs officers detected inconsistencies in two air parcels declared as food and candy.

The parcels contained clothing, towels, snacks, and five gift-wrapped packages. Inside were two plastic bottles labeled as stone protectors, each weighing about four kilograms.

Since the products were readily available in Hong Kong, officers considered the expensive air shipment suspicious. Laboratory testing later confirmed the bottles contained 20.8 kilograms of suspected liquid methamphetamine, worth about HK$10.59 million.