Hong Kong Customs Seizes About 42kg of Suspected Ketamine, Arrests Two Men at Airport

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

Hong Kong Customs on June 17 and yesterday (June 18) detected two drug trafficking cases involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport, and seized a total of about 42 kilograms of suspected ketamine with a total estimated market value of about $16 million. Two men were arrested.

In the first case, a 50-year-old Japanese male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on June 17. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 16kg of suspected ketamine inside his check-in suitcase and 137 sticks of duty-not-paid cigarettes inside his carry-on baggage. The man was subsequently arrested.

In the second case, a 50-year-old British male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from London, the United Kingdom, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 26kg of suspected ketamine inside his two check-in suitcases. He was subsequently arrested.

The arrested man in the first case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug, one count of possession of dutiable goods and one count of failing to declare to a member of the Customs and Excise Service. The arrested man in the second case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. Both cases will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (June 20).

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 (DCO), 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.

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 on June 17 and yesterday (June 18) detected two drug trafficking cases involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport, and seized a total of about 42 kilograms of suspected ketamine with a total estimated market value of about $16 million. Two men were arrested. Photo shows the arrested person in the second case. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs on June 17 and yesterday (June 18) detected two drug trafficking cases involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport, and seized a total of about 42 kilograms of suspected ketamine with a total estimated market value of about $16 million. Two men were arrested. Photo shows the suspected ketamine seized in the second case. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs on June 17 and yesterday (June 18) detected two drug trafficking cases involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport, and seized a total of about 42 kilograms of suspected ketamine with a total estimated market value of about $16 million. Two men were arrested. Photo shows the arrested person in the first case. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs on June 17 and yesterday (June 18) detected two drug trafficking cases involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport, and seized a total of about 42 kilograms of suspected ketamine with a total estimated market value of about $16 million. Two men were arrested. Photo shows the suspected ketamine seized in the first case. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

HKMCA Introduces Cross-Boundary Annuity Disbursement Service

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

HKMC Annuity Limited (HKMCA), a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited, announced today (August 24) that, with immediate effect, customers of the HKMCA may choose to receive their guaranteed monthly annuity payments across the boundary via eligible Renminbi (RMB) bank accounts opened on the Chinese Mainland (Note 1).

Upon completion of the HKMCA's required application procedures, the HKMCA's servicing bank will convert the Hong Kong dollar-denominated guaranteed monthly annuity payments into RMB, and remit the funds via Payment Connect (Note 2) to the customers' eligible RMB bank accounts opened on the Chinese Mainland. The actual RMB amount deposited into the customers' eligible RMB bank accounts opened on the Chinese Mainland will be determined based on the prevailing exchange rate applied by the servicing bank at the time of the transaction (Note 3). The HKMCA will not levy any charges for this service.

Executive Director and the Chief Executive Officer of the HKMCA, Mr Daniel Leong, stated, "As more Hong Kong residents choose to retire on the Chinese Mainland, demand for seamless cross-boundary payment to support daily living expenses continues to grow. Leveraging Payment Connect, we are pleased to introduce this new cross-boundary annuity disbursement service. Customers can conveniently receive their guaranteed annuity payments to meet daily spending needs in the Chinese Mainland, enjoying hassle-free cross-boundary retirement."

For details on the application procedures for the cross-boundary annuity disbursement service, please contact the HKMCA customer service hotline at (852) 2512 5000.

Note 1: For details of eligible RMB bank accounts and the relevant application requirements, please contact the HKMCA customer service hotline at (852) 2512 5000.

Note 2: Payment Connect refers to the linkage of the Chinese Mainland's Internet Banking Payment System (IBPS) and Hong Kong's Faster Payment System (FPS). For further information, please refer to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority's website.

Note 3: Exchange rates are subject to market fluctuations, and the final RMB amount deposited into the customers' RMB bank accounts on the Chinese Mainland may differ from any estimations or expectations. Please be aware of all risks associated with currency conversion and exchange rate movements. Any related fees and exchange rate differentials arising from the remittance shall be borne by the customers. For details, please refer to the relevant terms and conditions, risk disclosures and disclaimers.

Source: AI-found images