<![CDATA[Hong Kong customs officials arrest 76-year-old man on suspicion of trafficking HK$2.3 million worth of cocaine from Ethiopia]>
Customs officials on Sunday said they had seized more than two kilograms of suspected cocaine from an elderly man at Hong Kong International Airport.
Officers intercepted the 76-year-old after his arrival from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Friday, the customs department said.
The man was arrested when a flattened slab of the suspected cocaine was found hidden in a false compartment of his suitcase. The total amount of cocaine weighed 2.1kg and had an estimated market value of about HK$2.3 million (US$293,945).
Hong Kong customs on July 12 seized about 2.1kg of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about HK$2.3 million. Photo: Handout alt=Hong Kong customs on July 12 seized about 2.1kg of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about HK$2.3 million. Photo: Handout
He was later charged with one count of trafficking a dangerous drug and was expected to appear at West Kowloon Court on Monday.
The customs department warned that under Hong Kong's Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug was a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction was a fine of HK$5 million (US$639,011) and life imprisonment.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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