Hong Kong Customs Seizes 3.4 kg Suspected Cocaine and 16 kg Suspected Cannabis Buds, Arrests Two Women at Airport

Hong Kong Customs detects two drug trafficking cases involving passengers at airport

Hong Kong Customs detected two drug trafficking cases involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (June 5) and today (June 6), and seized a total of about 3.4 kilograms of suspected cocaine and 16 kg of suspected cannabis buds, with a total estimated market value of about $5.6 million. Two women were arrested.

In the first case, a 23-year-old female passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Istanbul, Turkey, yesterday afternoon. During customs clearance, Customs officer found about 3.4 kg of suspected cocaine concealed inside two statues in her check-in suitcase. Thirty-four duty-not-paid cigarettes and one piece of alternative smoking were also found inside her carry-on baggage. The woman was then arrested.

In the second case, a 22-year-old female passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand, today. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 16kg of suspected cannabis buds inside her check-in baggage. She was subsequently arrested.

Investigations of the two cases are ongoing.

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 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.

Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Under the Import and Export Ordinance, importing an alternative smoking product is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

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 detected two drug trafficking cases involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (June 5) and today (June 6), and seized about 3.4 kilograms of suspected cocaine and 16kg of suspected cannabis buds, with a total estimated market value of about $ 5.6 million. Photo shows the suspected cannabis buds seized in the second case. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detected two drug trafficking cases involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (June 5) and today (June 6), and seized about 3.4 kilograms of suspected cocaine and 16kg of suspected cannabis buds, with a total estimated market value of about $ 5.6 million. Photo shows the suspected cocaine concealed in one of the statues in the first case. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detected two drug trafficking cases involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (June 5) and today (June 6), and seized about 3.4 kilograms of suspected cocaine and 16kg of suspected cannabis buds, with a total estimated market value of about $ 5.6 million. Photo shows one of the statues found with suspected cocaine in the first case. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Mainland home-dining ingredient brand GQ Homepot opens Hong Kong flagship store to expand international business

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced today (August 19) that GQ Homepot, a leading home-dining ingredient brand, has opened its first retail store outside the Chinese Mainland in Wan Chai. GQ Homepot has established its regional headquarters in Hong Kong, marking the city as the starting point for its international expansion.

GQ Homepot specialises in ready-to-eat, ready-to-heat, ready-to-cook, and ready-to-prepare home-dining ingredients. Starting out with home hot pot and barbecue ingredients, the brand has gradually expanded its product range to include breakfast items, light meals, ready-to-eat meal packs, beverages, fresh food, Western cuisine and snacks. It recently launched its "community central kitchen" retail concept, offering high-value-for-money ingredients that cater to consumers' needs across all three daily meals and a variety of dining occasions. GQ Homepot's latest Wan Chai flagship breaks new ground by incorporating in-store dining elements to elevate the brand experience.

Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion Mr Arnold Lau said, "From financing and listing to opening its first flagship store outside the Chinese Mainland, driving brand innovation and establishing a regional headquarters to go global, GQ Homepot's success story fully demonstrates Hong Kong's strengths as an international retail and regional operations platform. We look forward to helping more capable dining brands put down roots in Hong Kong, and bringing Chinese dining culture and innovative operating models to the global stage."

Executive Director and Vice President of Guoquan Food Ms Ruby Yang said, "Hong Kong is the first cornerstone of GQ Homepot's internationalisation strategy, and from our brand-new flagship store we will progressively expand into key markets across Southeast Asia, Europe and North America. Taking into account Hong Kong's household sizes, cooking habits and dining patterns, we have specially curated smaller-portion ingredients and ready-to-cook sets suited to two-person households."

InvestHK has worked closely with GQ Homepot throughout the company's set-up in Hong Kong, providing hands-on guidance on market intelligence, store-opening strategy and local talent recruitment to help the brand land smoothly in this new market.

Founded in 2015, GQ Homepot has built a leading presence on the Chinese Mainland with its "home dining" concept, with the Group aiming to make home hot pot and home-cooked meals fuss-free. As of the end of 2025, the brand had grown to over 11 500 stores across the Chinese Mainland. The Group was officially listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in November 2023.

For more information about GQ Homepot, please visit www.zzgqsh.com.

Mainland home-dining ingredient brand GQ Homepot opens Hong Kong flagship store to expand international business Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Mainland home-dining ingredient brand GQ Homepot opens Hong Kong flagship store to expand international business Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases