60kg haul of drugs including cocaine, crystal meth, ketamine and ecstasy smuggled into Hong Kong hidden in play mats, sports shoes and canned fruit
- Illegal drugs worth almost HK$40 million (US$5 million) were confiscated in 15 air parcels at Lok Ma Chau control point between October 23 and December 31
- The parcels had been mailed from European and Asian countries
Children’s play mats, sports shoes, canned fruit and tins of powdered milk are among many items international drug traffickers have used to conceal drugs in the past 2½ months, Hong Kong customs revealed on Thursday.
Almost HK$40 million (US$5 million) worth of illegal drugs – a 60kg (132lb) haul including cocaine, crystal meth, ketamine and ecstasy – were confiscated in 15 air parcels at Lok Ma Chau control point between October 23 and December 31 while being conveyed by delivery vans into the city from Shenzhen.
The parcels had been mailed from European and Asian countries.
According to the Customs and Excise Department, some ecstasy tablets were found mixed with dog food, while ketamine was concealed in sports shoes, boxes of powdered formula, and packages of meat products.
“The parcels were airmailed into Hong Kong from European countries such as France and Germany or Asian countries like Malaysia and Thailand,” a law enforcement source said.
The parcels were first sent to the sorting centres of logistics companies in Guangdong before being transported into Hong Kong.
