HONG KONG: A Hong Kong woman was arrested at an immigration control point last night as she attempted to smuggle two kilograms of crystal methamphetamine concealed in a box of lychees, according to the Customs and Excise Department.
The alleged drug courier, 35, evaded detection on the mainland China side of the Lo Wu border crossing but was stopped on the Hong Kong side at about 6pm on Monday.
The woman was stopped and her luggage searched after she was seen acting suspiciously, according to a customs officer.
He said two packages of the drug, also known as Ice, with an estimated street value of HK$854,000 were found in a box of lychees she was carrying.
“The two packages were hidden under lychees inside the box,” the officer said.
He believed the consignment was for local consumption. Officers are still trying to find out who the intended recipient of the drug was in Hong Kong.
The woman, who is unemployed, was escorted to her home in Mong Kok during a follow-up investigation, but no further seizures were made.
“Initial investigation showed she was paid HK$14,000 to smuggle the drug from Shenzhen to Hong Kong,” the officer said.
In the afternoon, the suspect was still being held for questioning at the headquarters of Hong Kong Customs in North Point and had not been charged.
It is the second similar drug-smuggling attempt at the same border checkpoint in a month.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a HK$5 million fine.
Figures show police and customs officers seized 152kg of methamphetamine in the first four months of this year, a 21 per cent increase from the same period last year.
