Hong Kong customs seize liquid cocaine and ketamine at airport in two separate cases
Hong Kong customs arrested a Spanish man and a British woman in two separate drug trafficking cases at the airport. The man was caught with liquid cocaine hidden in wine bottles; the woman with suspected ketamine. The man has been charged and will appear in court on 9 November.
Hong Kong customs officers at the airport have cracked two drug trafficking cases involving arriving passengers in two days, seizing liquid cocaine and suspected ketamine.
In the first case, a 36-year-old Spanish man flew from Madrid, Spain, via Seoul, South Korea, and arrived in Hong Kong on 6 November. During clearance, customs officers found suspected liquid cocaine hidden in three bottles of wine inside his checked luggage. He was arrested.
In the second case, a 44-year-old British woman arrived in Hong Kong from Frankfurt, Germany, on 7 November. Customs officers found suspected ketamine in her checked luggage during clearance. She was arrested.
The Spanish man has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Court on 9 November. The case involving the British woman remains under investigation.
Customs said it will continue to step up efforts to combat drug trafficking based on intelligence analysis. It urged the public to stay vigilant, not to participate in drug trafficking for monetary gain, not to accept any offer to transport controlled items into or out of Hong Kong, and not to help others transport items without verifying their nature.
Customs added it will continue to use risk-management principles to target passengers from high-risk areas for clearance checks to ensure effective enforcement against cross-border drug trafficking.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. Upon conviction, the maximum penalty is a fine of HK$5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public can report suspected drug trafficking activities via the Customs 24-hour hotline at 182 8080, the dedicated email account at [email protected], or the online form at eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002.
