Hong Kong Seizes Record 535kg Cannabis Shipment From Thailand

Hong Kong seizes record 535kg cannabis shipment from ThailandLegacyA record cannabis seizure in Hong Kong has uncovered about 535 kilogrammes of suspected cannabis buds worth HK$125 million (around 531 million baht), hidden inside a shipping container that arrived from Thailand. Hong Kong Customs said the September 2 operation was the city’s largest-ever seaborne cannabis trafficking case. Three men were later arrested following a controlled delivery operation. Customs officers selected the 40-foot container for inspection at the Kwai Chung Customhouse Cargo Examination Compound following a risk assessment and intelligence analysis. The cargo had been declared as insulated boxes shipped from Thailand. Officers opened the container and found 1,342 boxes, with suspected cannabis concealed inside 364 of them. The 535-kilogramme haul had been packed in vacuum-sealed bags before being hidden inside the boxes, according to Hong Kong Customs. Some of the packages also contained suspected tracking devices, while customs officials said the multiple layers of packaging appeared intended to mask the distinctive smell of cannabis. Rather than immediately intercepting whoever was due to receive the shipment, South China Morning Post reported that officers carried out a controlled delivery operation. The consignment remained in storage for more than two weeks before part of it was collected on September 17 and transported towards Mong Kok. Customs subsequently arrested two Hong Kong men, aged 21 and 47, and a 44 year old Vietnamese man who allegedly arrived to collect the shipment. The two local men were released on bail pending further investigation. The Vietnamese national was charged with one count of attempting to traffic in a dangerous drug and was due to appear at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts today, September 21. Hong Kong authorities said the scale of the seizure set a record for cannabis trafficked into the city by sea. The cannabis seizure also comes amid a wider increase in drug interceptions through maritime routes. Customs seized 5,704 kilogrammes of narcotics during the first half of 2026, up 49% from the same period last year. Of that total, 1,954 kilogrammes were intercepted through sea routes, an increase of 55.6%. Cannabis and ketamine together accounted for about 60% of all drugs seized during the six-month period. The fact that the latest sea container arrived from Thailand does not establish where the cannabis was produced or who arranged the shipment from the Thai side. Under Hong Kong’s Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a HK$5 million fine upon conviction. In related news

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