Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected cannabis buds worth about $2.6 million at airport
Hong Kong Customs today (August 5) detected a drug trafficking case involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 13 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with an estimated market value of about $2.6 million.
A male passenger, aged 20, arrived in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand, today. During customs clearance, Customs officers found the batch of suspected cannabis buds concealed inside vacuum-sealed bags in his check-in suitcase. He was subsequently arrested.
The arrested person has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (August 6).
Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They 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.
Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected cannabis buds worth about $2.6 million at airport Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
HKMA publishes Project CargoX Recommendation Report
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) today (January 19) published the "Project CargoX Recommendation Report", which presents 20 recommendations and a roadmap for modernising the trade finance landscape in Hong Kong.
Since the launch of Project CargoX (Note), the HKMA has convened an Expert Panel on CargoX comprising 24 industry experts from banks, cargo data providers, credit reference agencies, export credit insurers, government agencies and international organisations (the member list is available in the Annex). The Expert Panel has contributed valuable insights and concluded the CargoX recommendations and development roadmap in December 2025.
With the vision of maintaining Hong Kong's position as a leading trade financing hub, powered by a robust, globally connected digital trade infrastructure, the report outlines a roadmap for taking forward the recommendations. The HKMA will play a critical role in implementing the roadmap through collaboration with relevant public and private organisations in a series of pilot trials.
Informed by extensive research and industry engagement, a total of 20 recommendations, structured under three strategic pillars of Data, Infrastructure and Connectivity, are put forward in the report:
Data: this pillar focuses on accelerating data-enabled trade finance automation. By integrating strategic government cargo and trade data along with infrastructure, and enabling access to historical trade transaction data, banks'assessment of corporate creditworthiness can be facilitated. This will increase the availability of trade finance, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Infrastructure: this pillar seeks to facilitate the development of digital trade infrastructure to enable paperless trade both in Hong Kong and with overseas trading partners.
Connectivity: this pillar prioritises enhancing connectivity with other jurisdictions including Chinese Mainland and ASEAN, and implementing relevant policies to maintain Hong Kong's competitiveness as a trade and trade finance hub.
Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMAMr Howard Leesaid, "Project CargoX marks a pivotal step in modernising Hong Kong's trade finance ecosystem by integrating advanced digital solutions, optimising cargo and trade data connectivity through our next-generation Commercial Data Interchange infrastructure, and strengthening international links. The recommendations of the CargoX Expert Panel provide a strategic blueprint and actionable roadmap to position Hong Kong as a trusted, data-driven hub for global digital trade. I extend my sincere thanks to the CargoX Expert Panel members, drawn from a rich diversity of experiences spanning both public and private sectors, for their exceptional insights that have shaped this transformative initiative."
The full report is available on the HKMA website.
Note: In April 2025, building on the Commercial Data Interchange data infrastructure, the HKMA launched Project CargoX, a multi-year initiative that aims to enhance the digital ecosystem for trade finance by harnessing the power of cargo and trade data.
HKMA publishes Project CargoX Recommendation Report Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
HKMA publishes Project CargoX Recommendation Report Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
