Hong Kong police arrest man for allegedly smuggling HK$19 million of cocaine
34-year-old suspect reportedly posed as a tourist and travelled to city via direct flight from San Francisco
Hong Kong police have arrested a traveller arriving from San Francisco on suspicion of trafficking cocaine worth about HK$19 million (US$2.4 million).
Police said on Tuesday that officers from the narcotics bureau had arrested a 34-year-old man at Hong Kong International Airport the day before.
Officers had intercepted the man in the arrival hall, where they seized about 23kg (50.7lbs) of suspected cocaine in his luggage, with a market value of about HK$18.9 million.
After a preliminary investigation, the man was arrested on suspicion of trafficking in dangerous drugs.
The suspect is a Canadian national who flew into the city from San Francisco, according to a source.
He had reportedly been paid tens of thousands of dollars as a reward for trafficking the drugs.