Hong Kong customs find meth and cocaine hidden in alcohol

Hong Kong customs have intercepted several high-value drug consignments concealed in bottles of alcohol and wine. The seizures reveal a growing trend of traffickers disguising narcotics as premium beverages as the city remains a vital hub in the global trade network.

According to Hong Kong’s The Standard, customs officers arrested a 52-year-old man at Hong Kong International Airport for attempting to smuggle 1.5 kilograms of suspected liquid methamphetamine disguised as alcohol.

The suspect was stopped while preparing to board a flight to Nadi, Fiji, when officers discovered bottles in his luggage that were found to contain the drug. The shipment’s estimated street value was HK$800,000, and the man remains in custody while investigations continue.

Under Hong Kong’s Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug carries a maximum penalty of HK$5 million and life imprisonment, according to the Customs and Excise Department.

A HK$15 million meth seizure in July

As per the Customs and Excise Department, officers seized about 28 kilograms of suspected liquid methamphetamine with a market value of HK$15 million at the airport in July. The drugs were hidden inside 256 bottles of aromatic essence sent from Mexico to Taiwan via Hong Kong, declared as water-based essences.

The discovery followed a detailed inspection of three air parcels and remains under investigation. Authorities urged the public to report suspicious activity to their 24-hour hotline (182 8080) or online crime-reporting platform.

Record cocaine found in wine shipment

In January 2024, the drinks business reported the largest-ever liquid cocaine seizure in Hong Kong when customs officers uncovered 444 kilograms of the drug with an estimated value of HK$490 million. The cocaine had been concealed in a container of bag-in-box wine shipped from Brazil to China.

According to superintendent Jacky Tsan Kin-bon of the Drug Investigation Bureau, officers identified 37 boxes showing signs of resealing among the 706 boxes in the container. Tests confirmed the presence of liquid cocaine, marking the biggest recorded haul of its kind in the city’s history.

Growing use of drinks in global trafficking

As reported by the drinks business, smugglers worldwide have increasingly turned to alcohol as a cover for narcotics. In Shanghai, a couple arriving from São Paulo was arrested when 32 bottles of wine in their luggage were found to contain dissolved cocaine.

In another case, Mexican marines uncovered 7,200 Mezcal bottles hiding liquid meth at Manzanillo Port in a shipment bound for Australia. According to Mexico News Daily, the country’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) later froze the bank accounts of 1,770 individuals and 167 companies linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) for using drinks companies as fronts for money laundering.

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