Customs detected three drug cases at Hong Kong International Airport in the past two days and seized a batch of suspected dangerous drugs worth about HK$20 million. Two men and one woman were arrested.
About 30kg of suspected ketamine, about 3kg of suspected methamphetamine and about 500g of suspected cocaine were seized in the operations.
Officers inspected an air consignment arriving in Hong Kong from the Netherlands on Monday, which was declared as carrying five boxes of metal alloy bowls. Half of the 1,500 metal alloy bowls were found to have special inner layers to conceal suspected ketamine.
The total weight was about 30kg, with an estimated market value of about HK$18 million. A 36-year-old man was arrested.
Customs on the same day inspected another air parcel, declared as carrying home decorations, arriving in Hong Kong from Laos. Officers found that about 3kg of suspected methamphetamine was concealed inside the false compartments of the lamps and metal parts inside the parcel, with an estimated value of about HK$1.8 million.
A 14-year-old male youth, who claimed to be a student, was arrested in Mong Kok yesterday in the follow-up investigation. He has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug.
In the third case, officers conducted a Customs clearance on a 28-year-old female passenger at the airport on October 24. She arrived in Hong Kong from Johannesburg, South Africa, via Doha, Qatar.
Officers suspected that she had dangerous drugs concealed inside her body cavity. The woman was then escorted to the hospital for examination and later discharged 42 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 500g.
She was arrested subsequently and has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug.