Drugs seized at borders rise 136pc
The amount of drugs seized at border checkpoints has increased 136 per cent this year, prompting customs officials to step up inspections in an attempt to catch smugglers from the mainland.
The rise in seizures follows an announcement by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen that youth drug use was 'much worse than expected'. He said he would lead the battle against drugs, and that the government would share information with Shenzhen authorities to step up action against smugglers.
There were 123 cases at the control points in the first six months of this year. Officers seized 27.7kg of drugs, including methamphetamine, ketamine and cannabis, with a street value of HK$9.66 million. In the same period last year, 11.7kg of drugs, worth HK$3.95 million, were seized, in 137 cases.
Customs officers made 114 arrests at the checkpoints between January and June this year, down from 120 in the same period last year.
Among those arrested this year, 27 were under the age of 21. There were 28 young offenders in the same period last year.
Superintendent Tang Yi-hoi, deputy head of the Land Boundary Command, said the rise was because traffickers were found carrying more drugs this year, and there was a 10kg seizure of methamphetamine, known as Ice, last month.
He said traffickers used different methods to conceal drugs. 'Male traffickers tied packages of drugs around their bodies such as the waist area. Female traffickers hid drugs in underpants and brassieres,' he said.
Mr Tang said most of the cases were detected at Lok Ma Chau and Lo Wu and the majority of those arrested were Hong Kong residents.
On Monday, 10kg of cannabis resin worth HK$950,000 was seized in the boot of a hired car at Lok Ma Chau when it arrived from Shenzhen.
The superintendent said that customs officers had stepped up inspections, based on a risk-assessment system and intelligence collection.
'Additional plain-clothes officers have been used. They disguise themselves as travellers and mingle with visitors to carry out surveillance,' Mr Tang said.
The number of sniffer dogs had also been increased from 34 to 45.
