Hong Kong customs seize biggest air cargo haul of ketamine in decade, finding HK$57 million worth of drug in shipment marked ‘vehicle parts’
- 120kg haul discovered when consignment was selected for routine inspection at airport cargo terminal
- Case among three major seizures of illegal drugs in recent days in city
Hong Kong customs officers have made their biggest air cargo seizure of suspected ketamine in a decade, finding HK$57 million (US$7.3 million) worth of the drug at the airport in a consignment sent by air from Malaysia.
The 120kg haul was discovered when the shipment, which arrived on Friday, was selected for a routine inspection at Hong Kong International Airport’s cargo terminal. In comparison, authorities found a total of 127kg of ketamine in the first 10 months of 2018. Local authorities seized 110kg of the drug in the first 10 months of 2017.
The consignment was declared as vehicle parts but an X-ray examination aroused suspicions, a law enforcement source said.
“The drug was found in vacuum-sealed bags made of aluminium foil that were stuffed in cartons,” he said. “We believe the packaging was designed to avoid X-ray detection and to foil sniffer dogs.”
The 120kg of ketamine packed in 120 vacuum-sealed tea bags was found hidden in five of 13 boxes in the consignment, according to divisional commander Tang Kwok-keung of the air cargo division of Customs’ Airport Command.