Customs seizes record HK$125 million worth of marijuana shipped by sea, arresting 3

Customs has made the largest seizure of drugs shipped by sea in Hong Kong’s history, discovering HK$125 million (US$15.93 million) worth of marijuana in a 40-foot container and arresting three peopleThe Customs and Excise Department revealed on Saturday that it had selected a seaborne container at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound for inspection earlier in September after conducting a risk assessment and intelligence analysis.The container had been declared as containing insulated boxes and arriving from Thailand.Upon examining the container, officers found 1,342 insulated boxes, 364 of which contained about 535kg (1,179.lbs) of cannabis buds.The cannabis had been concealed inside the boxes using vacuum-packed bags.The seized drugs. A Vietnamese man has been charged with one count of attempting to traffic in a dangerous drug, while two local men have been released on bail pending further investigation. Photo: Karma LoCustoms said that during follow-up investigations officers conducted controlled delivery operations and arrested two local men, aged 21 and 47, in Mong Kok on Thursday.A 44-year-old Vietnamese man was also arrested on the same day after arriving to collect the consignment, the department said.