Record MOP35 million cannabis haul seized at airport

In the city’s largest drug bust, local authorities have seized cannabis worth an estimated MOP35 million (USD4.3 million) and arrested a 25-year-old Hong Kong man at Macau International Airport, police said Tuesday.

The suspect, surnamed Zhou, was intercepted Monday evening after arriving on a flight from Southeast Asia. At the airport, officers from the Judiciary Police (PJ) Narcotics Division, working with Macau Customs and the Public Security Police, discovered 60 packets of cannabis concealed in two checked suitcases, weighing about 35 kilograms.

Authorities said the seizure marks a significant escalation in the scale of cannabis trafficking detected in Macau. Chao said the PJ believes that the drugs were likely intended for transshipment to neighboring markets.

PJ Chao Teng Hin said the suspect claimed to be a stage technician and is believed to have been paid at least HKD 60,000 to transport the drugs. “This case is the largest cannabis smuggling case ever uncovered in Macau,” the PJ spokesperson said.

Chao added that the operation disrupted an international trafficking syndicate moving drugs through the territory. “Our officers will continue to investigate the case further and track down other individuals involved,” he said.

Officials did not disclose the precise origin of the shipment during a Tuesday press conference but confirmed it had departed from a Southeast Asian country.

The case has been transferred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for further investigation.