Doncaster man arrested over £1.5m Hong Kong drugs plot to appear in court

A Doncaster man arrested in Hong Kong over a £1.5m drug smuggling plot is set to appear in court.

Paul Squire, 50, who is from Askern, has been detained in custody since July following his arrest at Hong Kong International Airport.

Customs officers intercepted a massive haul of illegal narcotics after uncovering approximately 42 kilograms of ketamine hidden inside checked luggage at the airport over two consecutive days, leading to the arrest of two foreign nationals.

The first seizure took place when a 50-year-old Japanese national arrived in the city from Amsterdam.

Authorities conducting a routine security check discovered roughly 16 kilograms of suspected ketamine stashed inside his check-in suitcase.

Alongside the illicit drugs, officers uncovered 137 individual sticks of duty-not-paid cigarettes hidden within his carry-on luggage.

The following day, a second smuggling attempt was foiled when 50-year-old British national Squire landed in Hong Kong on a flight originating from London.

A search of his two checked suitcases revealed an even larger cache of the same substance, totaling about 26 kilograms of suspected ketamine.

He was immediately taken into custody and has been charged with a single count of trafficking in a dangerous drug.

Both suspects are scheduled to have their cases heard at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (September 14).

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “We are supporting a British man who has been arrested in Hong Kong, and are in contact with the local authorities and his family.”

Penalties for drug trafficking in Hong Kong are among some of the harshest in the world, with those found guilty facing a life sentence and massive fines.