(From left) Divisional Commander (Containerized Cargo Examination) of the Ports and Maritime Command of Customs Alex Wong Kei Cheung, Group Head (Drug Investigation) of the Customs Drug Investigation Bureau of Customs Fong Heung-wing, and Senior Investigator of the Drug Investigation Division 2 of the Customs Drug Investigation Bureau of Customs Yeung Wai-hon attend the press conference on $230 million drug bust at the Customs Headquarters Building in North Point on Aug 31, 2023. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

Hong Kong Customs discovered HK$230 million ($29.3 million) worth of suspected cocaine in a shipment of frozen chicken feet from Brazil, marking the city’s largest illegal drug seizure this year, the Customs and Excise Department announced on Thursday.

A 35-year-old local man who claimed to be a transport driver was arrested, and more arrests are possible as the probe continues, said Fong Heung-wing, an inspector of the Customs’ drug inspection group.

Customs reminds members of the public not to participate in drug trafficking activities, not to carry unknown items for other people, and not to use their home address to receive other people’s parcels or goods

Fong, who briefed the media on Thursday, said Customs officials became suspicious about the consignment of 1,800 carton boxes of frozen chicken feet because the cargo’s sender is a Brazilian logistics company that is not linked to the food trade. Furthermore, the shipment of chicken feet was set to be received by a Hong Kong-based seafood company that Customs discovered is not operating at its registration address.

READ MORE: HK Customs seizes suspected cocaine worth HK$260m

In view of the mounting doubts, and the fact that South America is one of the world’s major narcotics-producing hubs, Customs held and unpacked the shipment for inspection at the Kwai Chung Customhouse on Aug 24, Fong said.

A total of 302 kilograms of suspected cocaine, packed in plastic bags and concealed inside 63 carton boxes of frozen chicken feet, was confiscated by customs officials after a thorough search, Fong said.

Yeung Wai-hon, senior investigator of the Drug Investigation Division under the Customs and Excise Department, said the arrested man, who claimed to be a transport driver, was found to be the sole director of the company that was supposed to accept the consignment of frozen chicken feet.

Yeung said that all the documents of the imported chicken feet needed by the Hong Kong government, such as the Import Licence for Frozen Meat, required by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, were related to the suspect.

Yeung said that someone admitted depositing about HK$700,000 in cash into bank accounts to help a local company purchase the consignment of chicken feet. Customs also suspect that criminal syndicates are in charge of drug trafficking and distribution involving in this case.

Yeung said that Customs will look into the bank accounts of the people involved as well as the signatures on documents related to the following investigation. The arrested man, who will face a holding charge with one count of attempting to traffic in a dangerous drug, will appear at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on Sept 1, Yeung added.

Some of the cocaine confiscated from a $230 million drug bust are presented to the media at the Customs Headquarters Building in North Point on Aug 31, 2023. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)

Alex Wong Kei-cheung, divisional commander of the Containerized Cargo Examination Division under the Customs and Excise Department, said South America is a major source of illegal drugs smuggled to Hong Kong, and Customs had detected two drug trafficking cases with similar characteristics over the past two years.

READ MORE: HK customs seizes record haul of suspected cocaine

Fong said Hong Kong has seized a total of 686 kg of cocaine in the first eight months of 2023, double the level of the same period in 2022. The city has also confiscated 1,230 kg of cannabis, 978 kg of ketamine, and 928 kg of “ice” — methamphetamine — from January to August, Fong added.

Customs reminds members of the public not to participate in drug trafficking activities, not to carry unknown items for other people, and not to use their home address to receive other people’s parcels or goods.

Trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offense under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. Upon conviction, the maximum penalty is fine of HK$5 million and life imprisonment.