Hong Kong customs officers have seized methamphetamine worth about HK$44 million ($11.3 million) concealed in wooden pallets carrying painted ceramics from Kyrgyzstan. South China Morning Post reported.
As noted, it is the first haul from the Central Asian country and the largest for the drug entering the city by air cargo this year.
Ivan Chow Wing-cheong, senior investigator of customs’ drug investigation bureau, said the shipment caught officers’ attention as the country was not known for exporting such goods.
«Traffickers attempted to divert customs attention by delivering a batch of seemingly high-value ceramic pieces. However, painted ceramics from Kyrgyzstan, a country not known for exporting art goods, are rare and it aroused our suspicions,» he said.
Upon initial screening at Hong Kong International Airport, anomalies were detected in the X-ray images of eight wooden pallets in the shipment. Officers discovered small hidden compartments in the joints of the pallets.
Inside the 200 hollowed-out spaces were plastic bags containing methamphetamine, totaling 88 kilograms.
An investigation led to the arrest of a 54-year-old man identified as a driver later that day at the airport. He was suspected to have been tasked with receiving the goods for further handling.
As reported, the case remains under investigation to determine the intended destination of the drugs, including whether they were meant for local distribution.
