Hong Kong customs arrests 2, seizes HK$290,000 of ‘slimming injections’ from Japan

Hong Kong customs officers have seized 400 so-called slimming injections imported from Japan, with an estimated market value of about HK$290,000 (US$36,970), and arrested two local residents in an operation earlier this month.

The case came to light on September 5, when officers intercepted a suspicious postal packet imported from Japan at the Air Mail Centre.

“Upon inspection, customs officers found and seized 400 anti-obesity injection vials suspected to contain Part 1 poisons from the consignment,” customs said on Monday.

The Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations contain the Poisons List which sets out a list of poisons subject to regulation for their sale and possession. Those on the list can only be sold at authorised premises and those listed under Part 1 can only be sold by a registered pharmacist or in their presence and under their supervision.

In a subsequent investigation, customs officers arrested two local people connected with the case, including a 45-year-old man who collected the parcel and a 41-year-old woman who was the named consignee.

“An investigation is ongoing. The two arrested persons have been released on bail,” customs said.

In a similar case in June, customs also seized 161 vials of weight-loss injections worth about HK$150,000 in postal packets from Japan and at the consignee’s address. The woman consignee, 31, was arrested.

In Hong Kong, almost all anti-obesity drugs are prescription-only medication and should only be used under the close supervision of a doctor, according to the Department of Health.

Under the Import and Export Ordinance, anyone importing pharmaceutical products and medication without a valid import licence commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of HK$500,000 and imprisonment for two years.

And according to the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, any person who possesses any poison included in Part 1 of the Poisons List other than in accordance with provisions commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of HK$100,000 and imprisonment for two years.

Customs also urged the public to report any suspected smuggling activities to the customs’ hotline 1828080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account crimereport@customs.gov.hk, or online form eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/