Hong Kong customs on the hunt for drug syndicate behind meth haul worth HK$60 million
- Some 110kg of crystal meth, also known as Ice, were concealed in shipment from Mexico declared to be carrying an electromagnetic separator
- Firefighters spent four hours cutting through six layers of metal before the drugs were found in a secret compartment inside the machine
Hong Kong customs is working with overseas law enforcement agencies to track a drug trafficking syndicate behind a HK$60 million (US$7.66 million) haul of crystal meth sent from Mexico and concealed in a machine that took firefighters four hours to cut open.
The airborne shipment, declared to be carrying an electromagnetic separator, arrived at the airport’s cargo terminal earlier this year. It was selected for inspection because of its unusual nature, according to the Customs and Excise Department.
Divisional Commander Alan Lam Chak-lun of the drug investigation bureau on Monday said a drug trafficking syndicate arranged for two companies in Canada and Mexico to collect the consignment using two logistics firms in Hong Kong. But the local firms were not provided with enough supporting documents to collect the shipment, he said.
Acting Senior Inspector Ho Chun-fai of the airport cargo examination unit said images from X-rays made the shipment seem questionable. They showed some components such as copper cores and wire rolls had been removed from the centre of the machine.
“So we suspected the structure of the machine had been modified and used to hide illegal drugs,” he said.
The suspicions led customs officers to make the decision to open up the machine for inspection on October 24.
As no screws were found on the machine’s metal case, which was thick and hard, officers sought help from firefighters to cut it open.
Ho said firefighters took four hours to cut through six layers of metal materials, before discovering crystal meth in a secret compartment in the centre of the machine.
Lam said they found 110kg of crystal meth, also known as Ice, a strong and highly addictive drug, with an estimated street value of HK$60 million.
He said an initial investigation suggested the narcotics was intended for an overseas country. No arrests were made in Hong Kong.
This was the fourth drug haul found hidden in a machine and sent from the Americas this year, he said.
The 1.8-tonne haul is Hong Kong’s biggest seizure of drugs by value and the second-largest by weight. In 1996, customs officers seized 7.2 tonnes of cannabis.
In the first 10 months of this year, customs has seized about 5.5 tonnes of illegal drugs, up 74 per cent from 3.16 tonnes logged in 2021. Crystal meth accounted for 54 per cent of the drugs or three tonnes.
