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Hong Kong Customs officers cracked 15 cases of transnational drug trafficking by means of internal concealment at the Hong Kong International Airport from November 5 to 19. They seized about 30 kilograms of high-grade heroin, with street value of about $14 million, and arrested 15 Africans, aged 18 to 41.
The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Timothy Tong, this morning (November 20) reported to the Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose SK Lee, on the new trend of drug trafficking by internal concealment, highlighting that with close exchange of intelligence between Hong Kong and Mainland Customs, the two authorities detected in November a number of cases with the same modus operandi.
Commending the Customs officers for their remarkable efforts, Mr Lee encouraged the officers to uphold their professionalism in clamping down on drug trafficking activities and to maintain close cooperation with their Mainland counterparts.
Commissioner Tong said that Hong Kong Customs would hold a regional seminar in Hong Kong on fighting drug trafficking in January next year. Representatives from various Customs Administrations will be invited to attend to map out enhanced cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking activities.
The Head of Customs Drug Investigation Bureau, Mr Ben Leung; Divisional Commander of Airport Investigation Division, Mr Donald Wong; and Divisional Commander of Air Passenger Division of Airport Command, Mr Chik Bun-hung, today (November 20) hosted a press conference on the operation.
Officers of the Hong Kong Customs exchanged intelligence with Mainland Customs, detecting that transnational drug trafficking syndicates might have made use of internal concealment to smuggle drugs from Iran to Hong Kong and the Mainland.
On September 27, Customs officers from the Airport Command of Hong Kong Customs arrested a Tanzanian man arriving in Hong Kong from Iran via Doha at the Hong Kong International Airport. They seized 142 pellets containing a total of 2.1 kilograms of internally-concealed heroin.
After intelligence analysis, officers of Hong Kong Customs unveiled the modus operandi of the transnational drug trafficking ring and planned subsequent enforcement action.
From November 5 to 19, Customs officers launched an operation codenamed "Moon-cracker". They cracked 15 cases of high-grade heroin trafficking at the Hong Kong International Airport.
Fifteen Africans, including 13 Tanzanian men, a Kenyan man and a Mozambique man, were arrested. Five of them took the same flight from Iran to Hong Kong on November 15; and another six took another flight from Iran to Hong Kong yesterday (November 19). They have been detained in custodial wards. It was estimated that each of them had internally concealed about two kilograms of high-grade heroin.
The 15 arrestees, aged 18 to 41, declared as carpenters, merchants, football players, boxers, students or unemployed, will be charged with "trafficking in a dangerous drug".
Mr Ben Leung said, "Hong Kong is conveniently located in the region and has excellent international transport links. Criminals may attempt to make use of our facilities to traffick in drugs. However, our relentless law-enforcement efforts, the effective exchange of intelligence among Hong Kong and other jurisdictions, coupled with our advance technology ensure that Hong Kong will not be exploited as a transit point for international illicit drugs trafficking.
"Our successful enforcement has sent a strong message to potential drug traffickers - they will have to pay a very high price and suffer heavy losses in the end," he said.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, drug trafficking is a serious offence. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment and a fine of $5 million.
In order to strengthen its enforcement capabilities against narcotics trafficking, Hong Kong Customs will continue to work in alliance with authorities beyond the territory boundaries. It is fully committed to international cooperation in the fight against dangerous drugs on all fronts.
Representing Commissioner Tong, the Assistant Commissioner (Intelligence and Investigation), Mr Tam Yiu-keung, gave recognition to the efforts of the officers from the Customs Drug Investigation Bureau, Airport Investigation Division and Intelligence Bureau in cracking the drug cases.
Ends/Monday, November 20, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:25
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