3 arrested as Hong Kong customs busts HK$52 million worth of cannabis buds hidden in car tyres in shipment from Canada
- The 228kg of cannabis buds found hidden in 73 tyres were intended for the city’s underground market over the festive season, preliminary investigations reveal
- Two drivers and a logistics company owner arrested, customs says
Hong Kong customs officers have arrested three men and confiscated more than HK$52 million (US$6.7 million) worth of cannabis buds hidden in a seaborne tyre shipment from Canada.
Senior Inspector Vincent Yeung Wai-hon of customs drug investigation bureau on Thursday said preliminary investigations revealed the 228kg (502lbs) haul was intended for the city’s underground market over the festive season.
A container declared to be carrying 98 car tyres was shipped to the city from Canada and brought to the Tsing Yi Customhouse for inspection on November 21.
Inspector Edison Yeung Man-kit of customs’ containerised cargo examination unit said the consignor’s company in Canada had no record of delivering such products to the city, adding the address of the consignee’s firm listed in the shipping document did not match the registered location.
“Based on these two factors, we selected the container for inspection,” he said. “An X-ray examination of the tyres showed suspicious images.
“After removing the wrappings of the tyres, bags of suspected cannabis products were discovered hidden in the hollow centre of some of them.”
He said samples also tested positive for cannabis.
