The coronavirus disrupted the international distribution of drugs, leading to pent-up demand and a build-up of stock. The result is to be found in Hong Kong’s latest figures on the seizure of drugs transhipped through the city to regional markets in Asia and beyond. Customs officers seized 8.4 tonnes of drugs worth HK$4.4 billion in just the first 11 months of 2023, the largest haul for a single year in the past two decades. It was 43 per cent more than the 5.8 million tonnes seized in the first 11 months of 2022.

Officers seized 2.2 tonnes of crystal meth with an estimated street value of HK$1.3 billion, about 1.5 tonnes of cocaine worth HK$1.4 billion and 1.6 tonnes of ketamine worth HK$813 million, according to provisional figures. Cannabis, or marijuana, accounted for more than a quarter of the total, mostly coming from North America.

The post-Covid recovery of the aviation industry was instrumental in the resurgence of the deadly illegal drug trade. Half of the drugs, or 4.5 tonnes, seized last year were found at Hong Kong airport in air consignments or with arriving travellers. That was double the 2.2 tonnes confiscated in the same period of 2022. Another 3.2 tonnes were found hidden in seaborne shipments and 138kg seized at land control points, up from 2.3 tonnes and 71kg respectively for the same period in 2022. Cannabis, ketamine and heroin recorded the biggest rises by weight among the seized drugs.

Hong Kong customs seizes drugs worth HK$4.4 billion in first 11 months of year

Superintendent Ip Kwok-leung, of customs’ drug investigation bureau, attributed the figures to cooperation including intelligence-sharing with mainland and overseas agencies. One joint operation led to the seizure of HK$170 million in crystal meth from Mexico, bound for Australia, and three arrests in Hong Kong.