Hong Kong seizes methamphetamine hidden in SEGALMEX Mexican shipment

Hong Kong Customs detected a package of what could be methamphetamine disguised as shells and snails.

The batch that was traveling from Mexico had the logo of Mexican Food Safety (Segalmex) and the national coat of arms printed on it. 

The seized cargo weighed approximately 1.1 tons and was valued at 640 million yuan.

The official statement issued by the Hong Kong authorities adds that a maritime container arriving from Mexico to Hong Kong was selected for inspection and declared to be transporting 611 bags of seafood. “After the inspection, a batch of suspected methamphetamine was found inside 104 nylon bags, camouflaged as seashells mixed with genuine ones. The batch of alleged methamphetamine weighed around 1.1 tons in total,” the statement says. 

After investigations, the authorities captured a driver, a woman in charge of a logistics company, a warehouse manager and an “unemployed” man. “The investigation continues,” said the Hong Kong Customs Department.

Although a direct relationship between Segalmex and this drug trafficking case cannot be established, it is a blow to the already battered image of SEGALMEX, an agency mired in corruption scandals. 

The most recent figures estimate the damage to Segalmex’s finances at 20,000 million pesos, in diversions of resources, manipulated contracting and unpaid accounts to suppliers. The Mexican institution has warned that it will file criminal complaints for “the misuse of the Segalmex name and logos.”

TYT Newsroom