1.8 tonnes of liquid meth, worth $140 mn, hidden in coconut water cartons seized by HK authorities
The drug was bound for Australia and had been dispatched from Mexico.
In what comes as one of the biggest drug busts in the history of Hong Kong, the authorities last week seized liquid methamphetamine,worth $140million (HK$1.1 billion), disguised as coconut water.
Reportedly, the customs officials discovered the 1.8-tonne contraband on a cargo ship which was on its way to Sydney, Australia after originating from Mexico.
Officials stated that liquid meth was found hidden in more than half of the 3,600 cartons of coconut water.
The discovery was only made possible after the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australian Border Force (ABF) in Hong Kong worked with Hong Kong Customs and Excise (HKCE).
The authorities in Hong Kong and Australia were reportedly tipped off by Mexican officialsvia intelligence exchange.
"Mexica-based officers used their international network to alert AFP officers in Hong Kong about the suspicious consignment being shipped from Mexico to Australia via Hong Kong. Ongoing investigations are under way to identify the transnational serious organised criminals involved in the plot," said the AFP in a statement.
Authorities believe that the consignment was part of a massive international drug trafficking ring and if it had been unloaded on the New South Wales shores, the drugs could have been sold as about 18 million street-level deals.
They added that it was the first time since 2016 that coconut water shipment for drug delivery was observed. The Mexican cartels rarely use this mode of shipment.Last time,the seized contraband weighed only around six kilogrammes.
Notably, the particular drug bust comes days after the law enforcement agencies had seized $14 million worth of meth hidden in electrical transformers, similarly bound for Australia.
So far, the former British colony has managed to seizedouble the meth that was uncovered last year.
(With inputs from agencies)
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