New cocaine route prompts Hong Kong customs to step up Middle East links
Over the past few months, Hong Kong customs had noticed a trend in which “second-leg” drug mules were recruited to pick up cocaine from South American cocaine swallowers in the Middle East before flying into the city.
Such handovers of drugs are understood to have taken place in airport hotels in cities like Dubai. Pellets of cocaine are discharged in a hotel room and then concealed in boxes of chocolates, candies or biscuits.
Trafficking syndicates then arrange the second-leg couriers, recruited from Africa, Europe and Asia, to smuggle the drugs into destinations such as Hong Kong and Macau. Each second-leg courier is paid between US$2,000 and US$3,000, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.
“The sleight aimed to divert the attention of the law enforcement officers at the destinations as the second-leg couriers were not travelling from the South American cocaine source countries,” said a spokesman for the Customs and Excise Department.
He said the method of discharging the drugs at a transit point also reduced the risk to the carrier and lowered the risk of unintended discharges on the journey.
From late December to March, 11 cases involving the new modus operandi had been detected at Hong Kong International Airport with the arrest of 12 people and seizure of 30kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of HK$33 million.
A small portion of the drug was for local consumption while most would be destined for neighbouring cities, according to the department.
“To tackle the recent cocaine smuggling trend, the Customs and Excise Department is planning a duty visit to the Middle East in the coming months to have face-to-face liaison with the relevant law enforcement agencies and to establish direct contact point to effective further co-operation,” the spokesman said.
Over the past few months, Hong Kong customs had noticed a trend in which “second-leg” drug mules were recruited to pick up cocaine from South American cocaine swallowers in the Middle East before flying into the city.
Such handovers of drugs are understood to have taken place in airport hotels in cities like Dubai. Pellets of cocaine are discharged in a hotel room and then concealed in boxes of chocolates, candies or biscuits.
Trafficking syndicates then arrange the second-leg couriers, recruited from Africa, Europe and Asia, to smuggle the drugs into destinations such as Hong Kong and Macau. Each second-leg courier is paid between US$2,000 and US$3,000, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.
“The sleight aimed to divert the attention of the law enforcement officers at the destinations as the second-leg couriers were not travelling from the South American cocaine source countries,” said a spokesman for the Customs and Excise Department.
He said the method of discharging the drugs at a transit point also reduced the risk to the carrier and lowered the risk of unintended discharges on the journey.
From late December to March, 11 cases involving the new modus operandi had been detected at Hong Kong International Airport with the arrest of 12 people and seizure of 30kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of HK$33 million.
A small portion of the drug was for local consumption while most would be destined for neighbouring cities, according to the department.
“To tackle the recent cocaine smuggling trend, the Customs and Excise Department is planning a duty visit to the Middle East in the coming months to have face-to-face liaison with the relevant law enforcement agencies and to establish direct contact point to effective further co-operation,” the spokesman said.
