Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected cocaine worth about $3.5 million at airport (with photos)
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A 19-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Doha, Qatar via Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia yesterday (December 26). During customs clearance, the batch of suspected cocaine, weighing about 4.7kg, and five sticks of duty-not-paid cigarette were found inside his baggage. The male was subsequently arrested.
The arrested person has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug, one count of possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and one count of failing to declare them to Customs officers. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Court on December 29.
Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.
Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/en).
Ends/Saturday, December 27, 2025
Issued at HKT 19:16
Issued at HKT 19:16
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