The customs cracked two drug cases at the airport last week, seizing 145 kilograms of suspected cocaine and 20 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, with a total value of about 164 million yuan. Three men were arrested in connection with the case and have been released after investigation, of which the market value is about 147 million yuan. Cocaine is the largest airborne cocaine case cracked by the customs in the past 20 years.
The two batches of drugs were sent to the port from Guatemala and Mexico respectively. They were stored in the cargo reported as power transformers and computer testers. The local logistics company was also entrusted by the mainland logistics company to be responsible for customs clearance and transshipment procedures in Hong Kong. The customs believes that drug cartels use China-Hong Kong logistics. The company took a circuitous route to transport drugs to Australia.
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Through risk assessment and data analysis last Sunday (14th), officers of the Customs Airport Section found that a power transformer with a reported weight of 855 kg was sent from Guatemala. Since there have been few large transformers sent by air from Guatemala to Hong Kong in the past, Aroused suspicion by customs officers.
The personnel opened the cargo for inspection and found a large oil-immersed transformer inside a large wooden box. X-ray inspection revealed that the image was suspicious.
The image shows that the transformer does not have any device or should have an oil storage tank or high voltage coil, but a neatly placed rectangular object is hidden. Further inspection found that the transformer is sealed with glass glue, but the temperature of the transformer can reach 95 degrees when the transformer is generally started. Will not use glass glue to seal the edges.
At the same time, the customs also believed that the so-called Australian recipient and address were fictitious. The officers opened the transformer and found 111 cocaine bricks weighing 145 kilograms with a market value of about 147 million yuan.
It is the largest airborne cocaine case cracked by the customs in the past 20 years.
After the Narcotics Investigation Bureau took over the investigation, a 34-year-old male employee of a transportation company was arrested at the airport last Thursday (18th). The officer went to his transportation company in Kwai Chung to search for evidence and arrested a 43-year-old male person in charge.
Li Wenle, Supervisor of the Airport Investigation Division of the Customs Narcotics Investigation Bureau, said that the customs investigation revealed that the cargo was entrusted by a logistics company in Kwun Tong and another logistics company in Kwai Chung to be responsible for the procedures in Hong Kong.
The Kwun Tong Logistics Company then entrusted the Kwai Chung Transport Company to which the arrested person belongs to be responsible for customs clearance, pick-up and storage in a warehouse in Yuen Long; it was originally scheduled to be shipped back to the airport by the Kwai Chung Logistics Company yesterday (24th) and sent to Australia.
In addition, last Friday (19th) customs officials thought that a cargo of a computer tester imported from Mexico and reported to be 139 kg was unusual. After opening it, it was found that the metal base of the computer tester weighed 117 kg, and there was no opening or no opening. Wire plugs, no brand and no model, X-ray image shows that there is a layer of materials with different densities in the middle of the base.
The personnel drilled through the base and found that it was methamphetamine, a total of 20 kilograms, with a market value of about 16 million yuan.
Based on the air waybill information, the Narcotics Bureau searched a logistics company in Tsuen Wan and found that the company was commissioned by another mainland logistics company to be responsible for customs clearance, transportation, storage and shipping to Australia in Hong Kong.
Zhu Jiaying, the commander of the third group of air cargo of the Customs Airport Section, said that two cases showed that criminals used the space of large machines to store drugs to increase the difficulty for customs officers to find drugs and open large machines.
Customs investigation believes that drug cartels use logistics companies in the Mainland and Hong Kong to take a circuitous route to transfer drugs to Australia.
A total of 3 men were arrested in the two cases and all were released after investigation.
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