Customs seized HK$126M worth of cocaine in shipping container, biggest hard drug bust of year

Hong Kong Customs seized about 80 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $126 million from a transshipment container at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound on February 23.

Following intelligence sharing with overseas law enforcement agencies and risk assessment, Customs officers selected a 40-foot container, declared as containing grapes, from Peru heading for the Mainland via Hong Kong for inspection.

Upon examination, Customs officers found the batch of suspected cocaine inside two nylon bags that were placed by the side of the container doors.

After a follow-up investigation, a 53-year-old man suspected to be in connection with the case was arrested the next day.

Source: HK Customs and Excise Department