HONG KONG – The pungent fragrance of durians may put off some, but it did not deter Hong Kong customs officers from discovering 8.4kg of heroin hidden in an air consignment from Malaysia. The officers at Hong Kong International Airport inspected the package on August 2, which was declared to contain durians and mochi, reported Hong Kong media.
Authorities found 24 packs of heroin, worth HK$5.8 million (S$986,000), disguised as dry ice and packed in foam boxes with the durians, The Standard reported, citing a customs spokesperson. The shipment was reportedly from Malaysia, according to the South China Morning Post.
Four men, aged between 25 and 53, were arrested after officers allowed the shipment to be delivered to a location in Mong Kok. If convicted of trafficking a “dangerous drug” under Hong Kong law, offenders can be fined up to HK$5 million and face life imprisonment.
Incidentally, a similar case occurred in 2019 when a woman was arrested at Subang Airport in Malaysia for hiding drugs in hollowed-out durians in a shipment bound for Hong Kong. She reportedly tried to pass off 6.13kg of heroin as frozen durians, packed in 20 polystyrene foam boxes.
In 2022, customs officials in Thailand intercepted over 7kg of heroin allegedly bound for Taiwan. The drugs were found in a shipment containing a water heater and four cases of dried durian, originating from Cambodia.