The Customs and Excise Department said on Wednesday that officers will step up inspections for contraband, after reporting a substantial surge in drug trafficking cases last year.
Authorities said they seized around seven tonnes of drugs last year – a 70 percent jump from the year before.
As tourism resumes and inbound travellers returns to the SAR, the department said it expects to find more drugs on passengers, adding that anti-smuggling teams will be deployed to the various border checkpoints.
“In 2021, we detected a few cases involving only 3 kilograms of drugs [on passengers]. But last year, in 2022, we detected 25 kilograms of drugs through the passengers’ channel,” said Louise Ho, the Commissioner of Customs and Excise.