Hong Kong customs arrests 2 suspected drug traffickers, seizes HK$12 million in liquid cocaine at 4-star hotel
- Officers confiscate 12kg of liquid cocaine disguised as white wine after they lay in wait outside room in Tsim Sha Tsui East hotel
- Suspect intercepted after he left hotel room, while another found inside during raid, customs says
Hong Kong customs officers have arrested two suspected drug traffickers after seizing HK$12 million (US$1.5 million) in liquid cocaine disguised as white wine at a four-star hotel.
Inspector Yiu Man-ho of customs’ drug investigation bureau said on Monday that acting on intelligence and investigation, officers lay in wait outside a room in the Tsim Sha Tsui East hotel on Sunday.
Customs officers intercepted a man, 33, after he left the hotel room around midday.
“In a plastic bag and luggage the man was carrying, customs officers seized eight bottles of white wine,” Yiu said. Each bottle carried 1.5 litres of solution.
He said samples taken from the white wine bottles tested positive for cocaine.
The inspector confirmed 12kg (26.5lbs) of liquid cocaine was seized and the haul had an estimated street value of HK$12 million.
Customs officers then raided the hotel room and found another man aged 23 inside.
The two men were detained on suspicion of trafficking in a dangerous drug – an offence punishable by up to life in prison and a HK$5 million fine.
As of Monday morning, the two suspects were being held for questioning.
According to the Customs and Excise Department, investigations into the origin of the narcotics are ongoing and further arrests are not ruled out.
In December, customs officers seized a record HK$490 million worth of liquid cocaine disguised as white wine that arrived in an ocean container sent from Brazil.
Hong Kong customs makes record liquid cocaine seizure worth HK$490 million
The haul was hidden in a shipment of 706 boxes of red and white wine, as well as juice, that arrived in the city on December 19. Two local men were arrested in connection with the case.
Signs of resealing were found on 37 of the 706 wine boxes. Each of the 37 boxes was supposed to contain four three-litre white wine bags, but samples tested positive for cocaine.
Official figures showed seizures of the five major illegal drugs – cocaine, cannabis, methamphetamine, heroin and ketamine – rose by 68 per cent to 13.29 tonnes last year from 7.9 tonnes in 2022.
The amount of cocaine seized by police and customs in 2023 increased by 55.8 per cent to 3.53 tonnes from the 2.27 tonnes kept off the streets the year before.
