Illegal drugs seized at Hong Kong airport surged by 80 per cent to 2.3 tonnes worth HK$970 million in first half of year, customs says
- Drug traffickers put smaller amount of narcotics in packages but mail larger quantity of parcels to increase chances of success, according to customs
- To avoid detection, syndicates disguised narcotics as food products and soaked pillows in liquid drugs
Customs officers at Hong Kong International Airport seized nearly 2.3 tonnes (2.5 tons) of illegal drugs discovered in cargo consignments and among passengers in the first half of this year, an increase of more than 80 per cent over the same period in 2022, it was revealed on Tuesday.
Latest figures show 2,298kg (5,066lbs) of narcotics with an estimated street value of HK$970 million (US$124 million) were confiscated in 604 cases at the airport between January and June this year, according to the Customs and Excise Department.
During the same period last year, customs seized 1,270kg of illegal drugs worth HK$590 million in 331 cases. For all of 2022, officers found 2.6 tonnes of narcotics valued at HK$1.2 billion in 839 cases at the airport.
The illegal drugs discovered at the airport accounted for 88 per cent of the narcotics seized in the first half of this year in the city.
At the airport’s cargo terminal, customs officers intercepted 516 air consignments, each carrying less than 5kg of narcotics, between January and June this year, while 302 such cases were detected in the same period in 2022.
Superintendent Sky Fung Wai-ching of customs’ drug investigation bureau on Tuesday said international syndicates had altered their drug trafficking methods after several large seizures of narcotics found concealed in machines last year.
“Recently, they tend to put a smaller amount of narcotics in each package but mail a larger quantity of parcels [with illegal drugs] into the city to increase their chance of success and also reduce losses in case the substances are seized,” he said.
