Hong Kong: 11kg suspected cocaine found in motorised wheelchair

Officials at Hong Kong International Airport have uncovered 11kg of suspected cocaine hidden in the cushions of an electric wheelchair.

 The discovery, valued at approximately $1.5 million (£1.26 million), occurred during a customs clearance inspection on Saturday, when a 51-year-old man underwent the process.

This individual had recently arrived from Sint Maarten, a Caribbean country, via Paris on the same day and has subsequently been apprehended. In the event of a guilty verdict for drug trafficking, he could potentially face a life sentence.

Suspicion arose among customs personnel regarding the wheelchair he had brought with him as one of his two checked items. Further scrutiny was initiated, and it was revealed that the wheelchair's seat cushion and backrest had been re-stitched.

The man, who is not a resident of Hong Kong and has mobility difficulties, claimed that he was the director of a car rental business and that a friend had lent him the wheelchair.

An investigation is now underway to delve into the incident. Customs authorities have declared their intention to intensify inspections on travelers from regions deemed "high-risk" in order to combat cross-border drug trafficking.

According to their most recent data, there were 931 cases involving dangerous drugs detected in customs inspections in 2022, an increase from the previous year's 906 cases. Additionally, 178 individuals were apprehended for drug-related offenses last year.

This isn't the first instance of narcotics being concealed within a wheelchair at an airport. In November, authorities in New York seized $450,000 worth of cocaine that had been hidden in the wheels of a woman's wheelchair. Likewise, in September 2022, approximately $1.6 million worth of cocaine was discovered concealed within the upholstery of a motorized wheelchair in the Italian city of Milan.