Customs officers seized 12 items of clothing soaked with $100,000-worth of opium at Hong Kong airport's express cargo terminal yesterday.

Officers inspected a parcel declared as "cotton woven dresses" being transhipped from Laos to the US. Due to their odd smell they were tested and opium was detected.

It is the first case of opium-soaked clothes trafficking by express air cargo.

Last August airport officers arrested an incoming passenger bringing in clothing soaked in cocaine solvent. Customs has since detected six cases of opium trafficking to the US via the express cargo terminals.