Hong Kong seizes 535kg cannabis in largest seaborne drug bust ever

Hong Kong customs officers uncovered 535 kilograms of cannabis buds concealed inside insulated boxes in a shipping container from Thailand, seizing drugs valued at HK$125 million and detaining three suspects in what authorities described as the city's largest seaborne narcotics operation.

Container selected after intelligence analysis

The Customs and Excise Department announced the breakthrough on Saturday, revealing that investigators had flagged a 40-foot container at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound for inspection earlier in September following risk assessment and intelligence analysis.

Discovery inside declared insulated boxes

The container's shipping manifest declared it was carrying insulated boxes arriving from Thailand. When customs officers opened it for examination, they found a total of 1,342 insulated boxes inside. Of those, 364 boxes concealed approximately 535 kilograms, or 1,179 pounds, of cannabis buds.

The seizure marks the largest drug bust involving sea freight in Hong Kong's history, with the narcotics carrying an estimated street value of HK$125 million, equivalent to US$15.93 million. Three people were arrested in connection with the smuggling attempt.

Source: South China Morning Post