This undated photos shows suspected cannabis buds worth HK$18 million that were confiscated from the checked-in luggage of two men from Vancouver, Canada at the Hong Kong International Airport on March 10, 2024. (PHOTO / HONG KONG CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong Customs seized suspected cannabis buds worth HK$18 million ($2.3 million) in the largest passenger cannabis trafficking case at the Hong Kong International Airport in the past decade.

Customs officers arrested two men, aged 67 and 48, for trying to smuggle into the city 87 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds from Canada.

During customs clearance, officers found the suspected cannabis buds concealed in the suspects' checked-in luggage

The suspects arrived at the airport on Sunday from Vancouver, Canada, via Tokyo, Japan. During customs clearance, officers found the suspected cannabis buds concealed in their checked-in luggage. Both passengers were subsequently arrested.

They were jointly charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on Wednesday.

With the increasing number of visitors coming to Hong Kong, Customs said it will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking.

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Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offense, with a maximum penalty of HK$5 million and life imprisonment, Customs added.