Customs officers at Kai Tak have seized 10.4 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of $11.4 million hidden in a consignment of electronic switching gear.
A Brazilian national was arrested after the discovery on Monday night.
The economy-class passenger began his journey in the Bolivian capital of La Paz, passing through Sao Paulo, Brazil, before boarding a Cathay Pacific flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong.
He is the fifth South American to be arrested at the airport for trafficking since 1993, among them have been a Colombian, a Bolivian, a Venezuelan and in May last year another Brazilian.
Deputy head of Customs Airport Command Superintendent Chu Man-bun last night said the haul was the biggest so far this year, taking total seizures of cocaine to 30.1 kilograms for the first nine months. Customs seized just 4.7 kilograms of the drug in the whole of 1996.
He believed the drugs were destined for the local market. 'We believe South American suppliers are trying to seize upon the increasing demand for cocaine among wealthy people in Hong Kong,' he said.
