By Saidu Jalloh, Reporter D.S
HONG KONG, 21 April 2026 Hong Kong authorities have charged a 36-year-old woman from Sierra Leone with drug trafficking after customs officers found an estimated 3 kilograms of suspected cocaine hidden in her luggage at Hong Kong International Airport.
The seizure was made on 13 April during a routine inspection by the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department. Officials said the passenger departed Freetown and traveled via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, before landing in Hong Kong. The confiscated narcotics carry an estimated street value of HK$2.7 million, or approximately USD $345,000.
The suspect was detained at the scene and formally charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. She was due to appear before the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on 15 April.
Following the arrest, the Customs and Excise Department said it remains committed to dismantling transnational drug networks through intelligence-led enforcement. Authorities cautioned travelers against accepting payment to carry unknown items, noting that couriers are often exploited by syndicates.
Hong Kong enforces some of the world’s toughest anti-narcotics legislation. Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, a trafficking conviction carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of up to HK$5 million.
The department urged the public to report suspected drug activity via its 24-hour hotline and online reporting platforms.
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