By Connor Mycroft
Hong Kong customs has arrested a man after he was allegedly caught in possession of HK$1.5 million (US$191,000) worth of suspected cannabis buds inside his luggage.
The Customs and Excise Department said on Tuesday that the 37-year-old had flown from Thailand鈥檚 capital Bangkok, the previous day.
During the customs clearance, officers discovered 7kg (15lbs) of suspected cannabis in his checked-in suitcase. The man was subsequently arrested and charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug.
The case is scheduled to be taken up at West Kowloon Court on Wednesday.
Customs urged the public to remain alert and not to accept any monetary return for drug trafficking activities.
鈥淭hey must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people,鈥 it said.
In April, the Post learned that customs had confiscated more than 2.6 tonnes of illegal drugs valued at HK$1.1 billion in the first quarter of the year, with the total amount of narcotics seized by the department had increased 33 per cent from the same period last year.
Marijuana costs less than HK$10 per gram in Thailand but can be sold for more than HK$200 per gram in the city鈥檚 underground market, the Post also learned.
Last year, customs uncovered 6.3 tonnes of narcotics in 1,363 cases, with cannabis accounting for 46 per cent of the total seizures.
In Hong Kong, trafficking in a dangerous drug is punishable by up to life in prison and a HK$5 million fine.