Hong Kong customs seized around HK$12 million of suspected cocaine weighing about 11 kilograms from a 51-year-old male air passenger on Sunday.

The man had entered from the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten via Paris, France, with the suspected drugs concealed in his wheelchair.

cocaine in wheelchair
Suspected cocaine seized on October 15, 2023, by Customs at the airport. Photo: GovHK.

“Customs officers found the batch of suspected cocaine concealed inside the interlinings of the cushions and the back of his check-in electric wheelchair. The man was subsequently arrested,” a Customs and Excise press release said on Sunday.

Those found to have trafficked dangerous drugs into Hong Kong face a maximum penalty of life in prison and a HK$5 million fine.

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Tom founded Hong Kong Free Press in 2015 and is the editor-in-chief. In addition to editing, he is responsible for managing the newsroom and company - including fundraising, recruitment and overseeing HKFP's web presence and ethical guidelines.

He has a BA in Communications and New Media from Leeds University and an MA in Journalism from the University of Hong Kong. He previously led an NGO advocating for domestic worker rights, and has contributed to the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Al-Jazeera and others.