A suspected drug smuggler has been nabbed by customs officials in Hong Kong after he allegedly tried to enter the territory with more than $1.5 million worth of cocaine hidden in the seat cushion of an electric wheelchair which he was using.

The Hong Kong Customs & Excise Department said on Sunday that the 51-year-old suspect had been arrested on suspicion of trafficking a dangerous drug after he was stopped as he passed through Hong Kong International Airport.

If found guilty, the suspect faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

According to local officials, the man had arrived in Hong Kong after flying from the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten via Paris, but he was stopped by Customs Officers as he attempted to leave the airport.

The man was using crutches and the wheelchair, but this wasn’t enough to deter suspicion from customs officers, who decided to x-ray the wheelchair, alerting them to something hidden within the chair.

Upon closer inspection, officers discovered that the seat cushion and backrest had been tampered with and restitched. Hidden inside was a number of blocks of a white substance believed to be cocaine weighing 11kg.

Officials estimate that the street value is HK$12 million which is around US$1.53 million.

The suspect apparently denied any knowledge of the drugs, saying that a friend had loaned him the wheelchair during his travels.

Using wheelchairs to smuggle narcotics has grown in popularity in the last couple of years, which may have put customs officers on high alert and prompted additional scrutiny of the suspect’s mobility device.

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