Hong Kong customs arrests 10 over HK$56 million cannabis haul bound for Europe, Africa

Hong Kong authorities have cracked down on a drug-smuggling syndicate, arresting 10 individuals and seizing an estimated HK$56 million worth of cannabis buds. The month-long operation, dubbed Fire Mesh, ran from July 13 to this week and resulted in the seizure of about 240kg of cannabis buds. Senior Inspector Chan Kai-hin explained that customs officers targeted transit baggage from Southeast Asia for inspection, looking for signs that the luggage contained no personal items.

Instead, they discovered suspicious uniform parcels tightly packed inside the suitcases. The condition of the suitcases, being new without any signs of wear and tear, also raised suspicion. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the suspects were part of a syndicate attempting to smuggle cannabis from Southeast Asia to Europe and Africa via Hong Kong.

The suspects, comprising nine men and one woman aged between 18 and 57, held passports from Britain, France, the US, and Thailand. One suspect tried to evade detection by changing his itinerary at the last minute. The operation was a response to the increasing use of Hong Kong as a transit point for drug trafficking. Drug trafficking is a serious offense punishable by up to life imprisonment and a fine of HK$5 million upon conviction.