Hong Kong saw its first case of drug smuggling via electric wheelchair as customs officers arrested one man.
Customs stated on Sunday that they were doing baggage clearance at the Hong Kong International Airport for a man who came from Sint Maarten via Paris on Saturday (Oct 14), with one of his two luggage items being an electric wheelchair.
When the wheelchair passed the x-ray examination, there was something suspicious about the image, and upon further inspection, it was found to be concealing suspected cocaine within the layers.
The 51-year-old foreign man was arrested on suspicion of smuggling dangerous drugs.
The seized 12 kg of suspected cocaine had a market value of HK$12 million.
He claimed to be the chairman of a rental car company and stated that the wheelchair was entrusted to him by his friend for travel purposes.
He is currently under customs custody.
A customs spokesman stated that this was the first time they had discovered smugglers smuggling drugs through wheelchairs, adding that the man also attempted to avoid inspection by using a roundabout way to reach Hong Kong.
The spokesman stressed that they will continue fighting drug smuggling using state-of-the-art equipment to prevent drugs from reaching Hong Kong.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in dangerous drugs is a serious offense and the maximum penalty carries a HK$5 million fine and life imprisonment.