Hong Kong Customs Seizes About 22kg of Suspected Cannabis Buds at Airport, Three Persons Arrested in Trafficking Cases

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 Airportyesterday (July 15) and today (July 16), and seized a total of about 22 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with a total estimated market value of about $4.1 million. Two women and one man were arrested.

In the first case, two Filipino female passengers, aged 26 and 33, arrived in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found a total of 12kg of suspected cannabis buds inside their check-in suitcases. The two women were subsequently arrested.

In the second case, a 47-year-old Chinese male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand via Manila, the Philippines, today. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 10kg of suspected cannabis buds inside his check-in suitcase. He was then arrested.

The two arrested women in the first case have been jointly charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (July 17). The investigation of the second case is 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 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 detected two drug trafficking cases involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (July 15) and today (July 16), and seized a total of about 22 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with a total estimated market value of about $4.1 million. Photo shows the suspected cannabis buds concealed in the suitcase 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 (July 15) and today (July 16), and seized a total of about 22 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with a total estimated market value of about $4.1 million. Photo shows one of the arrested persons (centre) 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 (July 15) and today (July 16), and seized a total of about 22 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with a total estimated market value of about $4.1 million. Photo shows one of the arrested persons (centre) 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 (July 15) and today (July 16), and seized a total of about 22 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with a total estimated market value of about $4.1 million. Photo shows the suspected cannabis buds concealed in the suitcase 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 (July 15) and today (July 16), and seized a total of about 22 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with a total estimated market value of about $4.1 million. Photo shows the suspected cannabis buds concealed in the suitcase in the first case. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Approved Aberdeen & Ap Lei Chau Outline Zoning Plan amended

The Town Planning Board today (July 17) announced amendments to the approved Aberdeen & Ap Lei Chau Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

The amendments mainly involve (i) rezoning a site at Po Chong Wan from "Government, Institution or Community" ("G/IC"), "Other Specified Uses" annotated "Ocean Park" ("OU(Ocean Park)"), an area shown as 'Typhoon Shelter' and an area shown as 'Road' to "Other Specified Uses" annotated "Marina cum Residential Development with Public Open Space"; (ii) rezoning a strip of land to the south of the "Industrial" ("I") zone at Po Chong Wan from "G/IC" to "I"; and (iii) rezoning two pieces of land at Shum Wan Road from "OU(Ocean Park)" to areas shown as 'Road'.

The Notes and Explanatory Statement of the OZP are amended to take into account the above amendments. Opportunity is also taken to update the general information of various land use zones and the planning scheme area, where appropriate.

The draft Aberdeen & Ap Lei Chau OZP No. S/H15/34, incorporating the amendments, is available for public inspection during office hours at (i) the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, (ii) the Planning Enquiry Counters, (iii) the Hong Kong District Planning Office, and (iv) the Southern Home Affairs Enquiry Centre.

Any person may make written representations in respect of the amendments to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board on or before September 17. Any person who intends to make a representation is advised to read the Town Planning Board Guidelines No. 29C on "Submission and Processing of Representations and Further Representations" (TPB PG-No. 29C).

Submission of a representation should comply with the requirements set out in TPB PG-No. 29C. In particular, the representer should take note of the following:

* If the representer fails to provide his or her full name and the first four alphanumeric characters of his or her Hong Kong identity card or passport number as required under TPB PG-No. 29C, the representation submitted shall be treated as not having been made; and

* The Secretariat of the Town Planning Board reserves the right to require the representer to provide identity proof for verification.

The Guidelines and the submission form are available at the above locations (i) and (ii) and the Town Planning Board's website (www.tpb.gov.hk).

Copies of the draft Aberdeen & Ap Lei Chau OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centre in North Point. The electronic version of the OZP can be viewed on the Town Planning Board's website (www.tpb.gov.hk).