Hong Kong Customs Seizes About 24kg of Suspected Cannabis Buds at Airport, Arrests Two Male Passengers

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

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (August 12) detected two drug trafficking cases involving incoming air passengers at Hong Kong International Airport and seized a total of about 24 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with a total estimated market value of about $5 million.

The first case involved a 45-year-old Mainland male passenger, and the second case involved a 52-year-old Mainland male passenger. Both arrived in Hong Kong from Chiang Mai, Thailand, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 12kg of suspected cannabis buds in their check-in suitcases respectively. The two men were subsequently arrested.

The two arrested men have eachbeen charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug respectively and the two cases will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (August 14).

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 yesterday (August 12) detected two drug trafficking cases involving incoming air passengers at Hong Kong International Airport and seized a total of about 24 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with a total estimated market value of about $5 million. Photo shows the arrested man involved in the second case. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (August 12) detected two drug trafficking cases involving incoming air passengers at Hong Kong International Airport and seized a total of about 24 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with a total estimated market value of about $5 million. Photo shows the suspected cannabis buds seized in the second case. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (August 12) detected two drug trafficking cases involving incoming air passengers at Hong Kong International Airport and seized a total of about 24 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with a total estimated market value of about $5 million. Photo shows the arrested man involved in the first case. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (August 12) detected two drug trafficking cases involving incoming air passengers at Hong Kong International Airport and seized a total of about 24 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with a total estimated market value of about $5 million. Photo shows the suspected cannabis buds seized in the first case. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade in June 2026

Further to the external merchandise trade statistics in value terms for June 2026 released earlier on, the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (August 13) the volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for that month.

In June 2026, the volume of Hong Kong's total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 34.3% and 27.5% respectively over June 2025.

Comparing the first half of 2026 with the same period in 2025, the volume of Hong Kong's total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 28.7% and 30.4% respectively.

Comparing the second quarter of 2026 with the preceding quarter on a seasonally adjusted basis, the volume of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 6.6% and 2.2% respectively.

Changes in volume of external merchandise trade are derived from changes in external merchandise trade value with the effect of price changes discounted.

Comparing June 2026 with June 2025, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 13.6% and 12.7% respectively.

As regards price changes in the first half of 2026 over the same period in 2025, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 7.9% and 7.6% respectively.

Price changes in external merchandise trade are reflected by changes in unit value indices of external merchandise trade, which are compiled based on average unit values or, for certain commodities, specific price data.

The terms of trade index is derived from the ratio of price index of total exports of goods to that of imports of goods. Compared with the same periods in 2025, the index increased by 0.8% in June 2026 and 0.3% in the first half of 2026.

Changes in the unit value and volume of total exports of goods by main destination are shown in Table 1.

Comparing June 2026 with June 2025, increases were recorded for the total export volume to the USA (85.2%), Taiwan (60.5%), Vietnam (40.5%) and Chinese Mainland (the Mainland) (36.9%). On the other hand, the total export volume to India decreased by 8.8%.

Over the same period of comparison, the total export prices to all main destinations increased: the Mainland (15.9%), the USA (13.3%), India (11.9%), Vietnam (10.5%) and Taiwan (10.1%).

Changes in the unit value and volume of imports of goods by main supplier are shown in Table 2.

Comparing June 2026 with June 2025, increases were recorded for the import volume from all main suppliers: Korea (109.2%), Vietnam (74.7%), Singapore (27.9%), the Mainland (25.0%) and Taiwan (2.2%).

Over the same period of comparison, the import prices from all main suppliers increased: Korea (31.3%), Taiwan (20.0%), Vietnam (14.2%), the Mainland (12.1%) and Singapore (10.1%).

Further information

Details of the above statistics are published in the June 2026 issue of "Hong Kong Merchandise Trade Index Numbers". Users can browse and download the report at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020006&scode=230).

Enquiries on merchandise trade indices may be directed to the Trade Analysis Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3863 2599).

Source: AI-found images