Hong Kong Customs has smashed a West Africa based transitional drug trafficking syndicate and seized 4.4 kilograms of high-graded heroin, worth about 1.7 million HK dollars (US$218,959) in the past two days.

A Liberian man and two Filipino women, aged between 23 and 46, were arrested, according to a government press release Friday.

  

They will be charged with "trafficking in a dangerous drugs" and will appear in Tsuen Wan Magistrates' Courts for mention on Saturday.

  

On Aug. 3 at Chek Lap Kok Airport, Customs officers intercepted a 42-year-old Filipino woman arriving from Bangkok. In a false compartment of her suitcase they found 2.2 kg of high-grade heroin.

  

In a controlled delivery operation, Customs officers intercepted another Filipino woman, aged 46, at a hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui and found another 2.2 kg of high-grade heroin in her suitcase.

  

Investigation showed that this woman, who had also arrived from Bangkok, intended to meet with the first woman for drugs delivery.

  

Customs officers on Thursday arrested a 23-year-old Liberian man in the same hotel when he collected the two pieces of luggage containing the drugs from the two women.

  

"Intelligence revealed that West Africa based syndicates have been actively involved in smuggling heroin from Southeast Asia to Hong Kong, most of which was destined for the Chinese mainland," the head of Customs Drug Investigation Bureau, Ben Leung said on Friday. 

  

However, he said there was no increasing demand for heroin in Hong Kong.

  

"Although traffickers may take advantage of Hong Kong's convenient location and excellent transport network to smuggle drugs, Hong Kong Customs is confident of preventing Hong Kong from becoming a drugs trafficking transit point, given our stringent enforcement actions and with the help of advanced technology," he said.

  

He said Hong Kong Customs would continue to strengthen cooperation and intelligence exchange with the Chinese mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies with a view to containing transnational drug trafficking activities.

  

Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, drug trafficking is a serious offense. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment and a fine of 5 million HK dollars (US$643,997). 

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 6, 2005)