Customs today announced a record seizure of over 500kg of suspected methamphetamine with an estimated market value of about $300 million at the Tsing Yi Customs Cargo Examination Compound.

Through risk assessment, customs officers examined a 40ft-long transshipment container that was declared as a consignment of 1,168 bags of cement on October 29.

The container had departed from Mexico and arrived in Vietnam via Korea. It then arrived in Hong Kong and was destined for Australia through Singapore.

The officers found two vacuum-packed cartons hidden in each of the 251 cement-loaded bags in the consignment. Two bags, each carrying about 500g of suspected methamphetamine, commonly known as "ice", were found in each carton.

Customs Head of Ports & Maritime Command Benson Lee noted that criminals employ various methods to smuggle or traffic drugs, including the use of cement.

“They wanted to raise the difficulties for our customs officers. These are heavy objects and for our customs officers, when we conduct the customs examination, we have to remove the cargo from inside the container for our X-ray checking and also our open examination.

“So this will increase our difficulties and this is one of the common methods used by criminals.

“Cement is not an expensive product, so they do not have to worry about how to collect and how to dispose of the cement.”

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.