Hong Kong customs arrests 6, seizes liquid cocaine worth HK$57 million disguised as chicken pate
- Narcotics haul of 57.5kg found hidden in container with 1,100 boxes of chicken pate and milk cream in shipment from Brazil
- Packages in boxes each contained white solution, found to be liquid cocaine upon testing, customs says
Hong Kong customs officers have arrested six men and seized HK$57 million (US$7.3 million) worth of liquid cocaine disguised as chicken pate in a shipment that arrived from Brazil.
Acting senior inspector Chan Kit-lun of customs’ containerised cargo examination division said on Friday that the 57.5kg (126.8lbs) narcotics haul was hidden in a cargo container carrying more than 1,100 boxes of chicken pate and milk cream, which arrived in the city by sea on January 16.
He said the container was selected for inspection because the shipment’s consignee was a local company which had no shipping history, with an investigation revealing the address listed in the relevant documents was fake.
The container was taken to the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound for inspection on January 19.
“During the inspection, officers discovered red markings on 60 boxes of chicken pate positioned at the far end of the container,” Chan said.
He said the packages in the boxes each contained a white solution that tested positive for cocaine.
“In these 60 boxes of chicken pate, officers seized 57.5kg of suspected liquid cocaine,” Chan said. “The estimated street value of the seized drug was about HK$57 million.”
Plain-clothes officers from the bureau carried out a controlled delivery, sending the container to a designated warehouse in Kwai Chung, but no one came to collect the consignment in the following three weeks.
Senior Inspector Lee Chi-ho of customs’ drug investigation bureau said the narcotics trafficking syndicate involved was very cautious and scouted the area to check for any surveillance by customs officers.
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The syndicate then deployed three trucks to collect the consignment on February 7, 21 and 23, and deliver the goods to three locations in Yuen Long, Causeway Bay and the Kam Tin area of Yuen Long for storage, he said.
After identifying the suspects involved, customs officers arrested six men in a series of raids between Friday last week and Thursday.
The suspects are four truck drivers, a construction site worker and an unemployed man. They have been released on bail, pending further investigation.
As of Friday morning, the sixth suspect – a 36-year-old man – was being held for questioning.
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In Hong Kong, trafficking in a dangerous drug is punishable by up to life in jail and a HK$5 million fine.
Lee said an initial investigation suggested the seized narcotic was intended for the city’s underground market.
The senior inspector said the investigation was still under way and further arrests were possible.
He said customs would continue to use a risk assessment approach and gather intelligence to combat drug trafficking activities.
