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Hong Kong officials seize nearly $200M worth of meth in major bust

Hong Kong officials seized more than $198 million of meth on Saturday. Photo courtesy Hong Kong Customs/Facebook
Hong Kong officials seized more than $198 million of meth on Saturday. Photo courtesy Hong Kong Customs/Facebook

Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Authorities in Hong Kong said they seized more than $198 million of methamphetamine after uncovering a shipment arriving from Mexico on Saturday.

Customs officials found two tons of liquid meth hidden in cartons of coconut water en route for Australia on Saturday. It was the city's biggest seizure of illegal drugs ever.

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Henry Fong Heung-wing, a customs assistant superintendent with the service's drug investigation bureau, told reporters that the consignment was selected for inspection because coconut water was an unusual cargo from Mexico.

He added intelligence reports had also warned of the likelihood of a large amount of liquid meth, also known as methamphetamine or "ice," passing through the city.

"We had been alerted in an exchange of intelligence with overseas law enforcement agencies that a huge consignment of ice would be coming to Hong Kong from Mexico this month," he said.

Lee Ka-ming, the head of the drug investigation bureau at Hong Kong customs, said that the shipment likely came from a massive international drug trafficking ring.

"We believe the liquid meth, of high purity, came from South America," he said. "It was packaged there and shipped via a convoluted route to Hong Kong, to be sent to Australia."

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No arrests have been made yet.

The meth haul was the second found in a shipment from Mexico to Australia in less than two weeks.

Customs officials crystal meth hidden in an air consignment of electrical transformers from Mexico on October 14. The drugs were also destined for Sydney.

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