2 arrested in Hong Kong as customs seizes 249 vials of botulinum toxin
The Customs and Excise Department said on Friday that officers at the Shenzhen Bay control point conducted an X-ray inspection of a parcel declared as carrying body lotion last week and found 20 botulinum toxin injection vials suspected to contain Part 1 poisons, which are regulated under the law.
Customs said the express parcel, inspected on July 16, originated from a commercial address in South Korea for delivery to Hong Kong.
The following day, at the delivery address in Hung Hom, customs officers arrested an unemployed man, 20, who signed for the parcel, and a female shop assistant, 45, who was listed as the recipient.
A subsequent search of the premises uncovered 229 cosmetic injection products with various ingredients, some of which were also suspected to contain Part 1 poisons.
The total estimated market value of the 249 bottles was HK$76,000.
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