Customs seizes HK$5 million ketamine at airport
Thestandard · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago1 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong Customs said it seized about 12.4 kilogrammes of suspected ketamine worth more than HK$5 million at Hong Kong International Airport after intercepting an incoming air parcel from Europe . A 23-year-old local woman was arrested in Kwun Tong the next day after officers carried out a controlled delivery operation, and the case remains under investigation .
Key Points
- Customs officers inspected an air parcel that had arrived from Spain via France at Hong Kong International Airport on Monday .
- The parcel had been declared as swimming pool sanitisers, but officers found suspected ketamine hidden inside four plastic buckets .
- The suspected drugs weighed about 12.4 kilogrammes and had an estimated market value of more than HK$5 million .
- After a controlled delivery on Tuesday, Customs arrested a 23-year-old local woman in Kwun Tong in connection with the case .
- Customs said trafficking in dangerous drugs is punishable by a maximum fine of HK$5 million and life imprisonment .
Why It Matters
The case shows how traffickers may use ordinary parcel declarations and container packaging to conceal suspected drugs entering Hong Kong by air cargo . The ongoing investigation also means Customs may continue tracing whether the arrested woman was acting alone or as part of a wider supply chain .