A British man, Paul Squire, 50, from Askern, Doncaster, has been charged with attempting to smuggle £1.5 million worth of ketamine into Hong Kong. He was arrested in June at Hong Kong International Airport after customs officers allegedly discovered 26 kg of ketamine in his two checked-in suitcases following his arrival on a direct flight from Heathrow on June 18.
Squire was detained alongside a 50-year-old Japanese man, who was found with 16 kg of ketamine after arriving from Amsterdam a day earlier. The Japanese man also had 137 sticks of illegal cigarettes concealed in his carry-on luggage.
Squire appeared at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on Monday, facing one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. Relatives expressed deep concern for him, with his nephew stating that Squire had gotten involved in a bad situation. A friend described him as a 'good honest hard working lad' and noted that he was not someone anyone would expect to be involved in such activities.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office confirmed that they are supporting Squire and are in contact with local authorities and his family. Hong Kong enforces strict penalties for drug trafficking, with fines up to £500,000 and potential life imprisonment for those convicted. Recently, another British woman was arrested in Hong Kong after 30 kg of ketamine worth £1.1 million was found in her luggage, and another British man was caught with 16 kg of the drug in his checked baggage.