Hong Kong customs seize 131 kg of ketamine hidden as sugar cubes

Hong Kong customs, in cooperation with mainland Chinese authorities, intercepted an air‑cargo shipment from Germany that was declared to contain sugar cubes. X‑ray scans revealed anomalies, leading officers to discover 131 kg of suspected ketamine concealed inside 17 of 117 plastic pails. The drugs were valued at about HK$51.4 million (US$6.5 million).

Three men were arrested in connection with the shipment: a 58‑year‑old local resident who arrived to clear the cargo, and two 24‑year‑old Bangladesh nationals who attempted to receive the goods at a Yuen Long warehouse. The case highlights the syndicate’s use of an expensive, multi‑transfer air route to mask the origin of low‑value goods and evade detection.

Senior Customs investigator Chiu Kai‑wing said the operation exploited Hong Kong’s logistics network, noting, “The syndicate exploited convenient logistics in the city, using a complicated and more expensive route to traffic drugs, in a bid to hide the goods’ origins and evade detection.”