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The drugs haul, in terms of its weight and value, is Hong Kong customs’ biggest ever seizure of this kind. Photo: Felix Wong

Hong Kong customs seizes record haul of crystal meth worth HK$300 million hidden in cement bags

  • The drugs were found in a shipping container, and were being sent from Mexico to Australia
  • The seized consignment could be worth five times more in Australia, official says
Crime

Hong Kong customs officers have seized a record haul of crystal meth, finding nearly HK$300 million (US$39 million) worth of the drug hidden in a shipping container on its way from Mexico to Australia.

Authorities decided to search the container after their suspicions were aroused by the route it was taking. The shipment had been to South Korea and Vietnam before arriving in the city last week, and was expected to stop in Singapore before arriving at its final destination.

Senior Superintendent Barry Chu Yin-min, head of the Customs and Excise Department’s drug investigation bureau, said the 501kg haul of the narcotic, also known as Ice or methamphetamine, could have been worth five times more in Australia.

The drug was found concealed in 251 bags of cement in a shipping container that arrived in the city last Monday. The consignment was declared as 1,168 bags of cement.

Hong Kong customs confiscated 244kg of Ice between January and September this year, up 280 per cent over the same period last year. Photo: Felix Wong

“The container arrived from Vietnam, but its documents indicated it originally came from Mexico and was then shipped to South Korea before reaching Vietnam,” Senior Superintendent Benson Lee Tak-shun said.

“It remained in Vietnam for three months before being shipped to Hong Kong. Its next destination was Australia via Singapore.”

He said the route raised suspicions and the container was examined because about 20 per cent of the bags appeared swollen, but were lighter than the others. An X-ray showed suspicious images, and the drug was found concealed in 251 of the bags.

According to the department, two carton boxes containing 2kg of Ice were discovered in a vacuum-sealed packet hidden in all but one bag, with one holding 1kg of the drug.

No arrests have been made so far, but the investigation was continuing.

Officers seize HK$43 million worth of Ice in machine parts shipped from Mexico

“The haul, in terms of its weight and value, is Hong Kong customs’ biggest ever seizure of this kind,” Chu said.

He said officers would continue to share intelligence with overseas authorities and mount joint operations to combat such transnational drug trafficking activities.

According to the department, Hong Kong customs confiscated 244kg of Ice between January and September this year, a 280 per cent increase over the same period last year. About 89 per cent of the drug was found at the airport’s cargo terminal.

But, Lee said there was no evidence to suggest Hong Kong had become a drugs transit centre.

Customs officers seize US$9.8 million of crystal meth from Mexico

In 2017 and 2018, mainland Chinese authorities mounted a crackdown on underground crystal meth factories in Guangdong province, forcing Hong Kong drugs dealers to find new suppliers.

There was a significant rise in the amount of Ice – concealed in parcels – airmailed into the city from Malaysia, Africa and Mexico last year.

The new trend of concealing drugs in parcels has led customs to step up the inspection of inbound consignments, and boost intelligence exchange and cooperation with their overseas counterparts.

Local authorities seized 410kg of crystal meth in 2019, up 138 per cent from 172kg in 2018.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: customs seizes record haul of crystal meth
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