Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department officials hold a press conference on the the seizure of about HK$490 million worth of suspected liquid cocaine at the Customs Headquarters Building in North Point on Jan 15, 2024. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Hong Kong Customs has seized 444 kilograms of suspected liquid cocaine disguised as white wine with an estimated street value of HK$490 million ($62.7million), making it the largest seizure of the same kind of narcotics since records began, customs officers revealed on Monday.

The suspected narcotics were found in a 20-foot container which was reported to contain 706 boxes of red wine, white wine and fruit juice imported from Brazil, said Wong Ho-yin, head of Customs Drug Investigation Bureau at a news conference on Monday.

Wong said the case is further testimony of Hong Kong Customs’ hard work. He said customs seized 9.5 metric tons of various types of narcotics in 2023, a 30-percent increase compared with 2022 

While inspecting the shipment at the Kwai Chung Customhouse, officers found that some of the cartons containing white wine bore signs of having been repackaged, and their weight wasinconsistent. After unboxing the cartons, officers found 37 boxes of “white wine” tested positive for cocaine, accounting for about five percent of the total shipment. A total of 444 kilograms of suspected liquid cocaine was eventually detected.

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Customs said the drug syndicate liquefied the suspected cocaine to make it look like white wine. They also placed a lot of regular wine and juice in the same container as a cover, the customs said.

Two suspects — a 38-year-old man reported as unemployed and a 50-year-old man reported as head of transportation company — were arrested on Jan 13 and 14 respectively after a follow-up investigation. Customs officers said there could be more arrests in the future.

Wong said the case is further testimony of Hong Kong Customs’ hard work. He said customs seized 9.5 metric tons of various types of narcotics in 2023, a 30-percent increase compared with 2022; among them, 3.7 metric tons were transported to Hong Kong by sea, 25 percent higher than in 2022. 

Customs will continue to maintain close liaison with the law enforcement agencies of local, Chinese mainland, Macao and international communities to strengthen the exchange of intelligence and combat cross-border drug trafficking, Wong added.

READ MORE: HK Customs finds cocaine worth HK$2.1m in children's books

Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department officials hold a press conference on the the seizure of suspected liquid cocaine worth about HK$490 million at the Customs Headquarters Building in North Point on Jan 15, 2024. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

According to Hong Kong’s Dangerous Drug Ordinance, any person who traffics in a dangerous drug may face to a fine of up to HK$5 million and life imprisonment.

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com