Hong Kong police announced on Saturday night that they had arrested two passengers who flew from Mozambique to the Chinese region with 33.5 kilos of methamphetamine, worth 1.9 million euros.

In a statement, Hong Kong Customs said, as quoted by Notícias ao Minuto, that on Friday it had detected a 29-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman who had arrived at the territory's airport from Mozambique via Doha, Qatar.

According to the news source, the agents found 10 oil paintings and 54 pieces of handicrafts inside the suitcases of the two travelers, used to hide a total of 33.5 kilos of methamphetamine, worth 16.5 million Hong Kong dollars (1.9 million euros).

The two passengers were arrested and the police stressed that the investigation is still ongoing.

The authorities stressed that, "following the resumption of normal travel and trade with the interior [of China] and other parts of the world, the number of visitors to Hong Kong has steadily increased".

Since December 2022, the metropolis has abandoned China's 'zero covid' policy, restricting entry into the territory, investing in mass testing, confinement of risk zones and quarantines.

Hong Kong Customs promised to "continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on screening passengers from high-risk regions".

The crime of drug trafficking is punishable in the Chinese region by a fine of up to 5 million Hong Kong dollars (585,000 euros) and a prison sentence of up to life.