Hong Kong customs’ seizures of Ice rise by nearly 5 times in first 2 months of year

Hong Kong customs officers seized nearly five times more Ice in the first two months of the year than during the same period in 2024, after authorities stepped up checks of goods from countries known for drug trafficking, such as Mexico.

The amount of methamphetamine seized in January and February this year surged to 837kg (1,845lbs), up from 145kg over the same period in 2024, customs said on Wednesday. Officers seized 1.11 tonnes in the whole of last year.

One of the recent cases involved HK$360 million (US$46.32 million) worth of Ice weighing 680kg that was disguised inside heating panels from Mexico. Three men were arrested in connection with the case.

Customs’ biggest seizure of suspected crystal meth in solid form came in October 2023, when officers found HK$640 million of the drug in a shipment of snail shells from Mexico.

“Based on our experience, if such a large amount of methamphetamine is involved, there will indeed be opportunities for re-export and supply to some places where the market price of methamphetamine is higher,” said Jacky Tsang Kin-bon, the acting head of customs’ drug investigation bureau

Tsang attributed the “sudden increase” this year to “adjustments of enforcement strategy from time to time in response to drug trends”.

“Based on risk assessment and intelligence, we have strengthened screening and testing for some countries in North and Central America,” he said.