Officers at Hong Kong Worldwide Airport have uncovered 11kg of suspected cocaine hidden within the cushions of an electrical wheelchair.
The haul has an estimated market worth of about HK$12m (£1.2m) and was discovered when a 51-year-old man was going by means of customs on Saturday.
He arrived in Hong Kong from the Caribbean nation of Sint Maarten by way of Paris, and has been arrested.
“Customs officers discovered the batch of suspected cocaine hid contained in the interlinings of the cushions and the again of his check-in electrical wheelchair,” officers mentioned.
The wheelchair was considered one of two items of his checked baggage.
It was searched when customs officers grew to become suspicious after it was scanned they usually discovered proof its seat cushion and backrest had been opened and restitched.
The person, who was utilizing crutches, informed officers he was a automotive rental firm director and the wheelchair had been loaned to him by a buddy to be used throughout his travels, based on native media stories.
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Smuggling medication is a critical offence in Hong Kong.
The utmost penalty upon conviction is a effective of HK$5m (£525,793) and life imprisonment.
There have been a number of broadly reported {cases} of individuals utilizing wheelchairs to smuggle medication lately.
In September final yr, virtually £1.2m worth of cocaine was found in a motorised wheelchair at Milan Malpensa Airport in Italy.