Hong Kong Customs yesterday (January 7) seized about 1 kilogram of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $1 million at the Hong Kong International Airport.

     A male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia yesterday and was about to depart to Macao. During customs clearance, the batch of suspected cocaine was found concealed inside the trolley frames of his two check-in suitcases. The man was then arrested.

     The arrested man, aged 25, has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. He will appear at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (January 9).

     Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance. The department will also further step up enforcement actions before the Chinese New Year holiday with a view to combat transnational drug trafficking effectively.

     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 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

Ends/Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Issued at HKT 21:37

NNNN