A RECORD haul of cocaine, worth $180 million, has been found hidden in a cargo plane tyre at Chek Lap Kok.
The 156kg stash of the high-grade drug was uncovered when Customs officers inspected the plane, which was undergoing maintenance.
They noticed a spare tyre which was 'extraordinarily' heavy among the spare parts for the plane.
A scan last weekend revealed the cocaine packed in 144 slabs inside the tyre.
Customs officials say the crew and cargo company American International Airways, which owns the plane, were not involved in the trafficking.
Further investigation revealed the flight had stopped at various cities in Europe, South America and North America before arriving in the SAR from Honolulu for maintenance inspection on November 20.
