COURT: The defendant has pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug, contrary to section 4 of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance.
On the 12 April 2022, the defendant went to Kerry Warehouse in Kwai Chung to collect a consignment sent from Vietnam to Hong Kong. After signing on the acknowledgement receipt of the consignee, the defendant was then arrested by Customs Officers.
Inside the consignments, two motors were found. Inside the two motors, two cylinders containing 8.8072 kilogrammes of cocaine was found. The street value of the cocaine in question was estimated to be HK$9.8 million.
The defendant admitted that he was knowingly in possession of all the cocaine seized.
Defendant is now 23, educated up to Form 6 level. He has a clear record. Prior to his arrest, he was unemployed. Mitigation letters from school principal, teachers have been submitted. I have read all of them. They understandably asked the court for leniency. I understand their wishes, however my hands are tied by the guidelines laid down by the Court of Appeal.
Guidelines for trafficking in 8.8 kilogrammes of cocaine would be one of 27½ years’ imprisonment.
Although the cocaine in question was shipped from Vietnam to Hong Kong, there was however no evidence pointing to the contrary that the defendant was the one involved in arranging that. I am prepared to accept the fact that he was simply acting in the other end of this drug operation. As such I am not going to increase the sentence because of, for example, international element being involved.
Given the past contribution by the defendant to the communities, 6 months will be deducted from the notional starting point. The starting point will be fixed at 27 years’ imprisonment.
The defendant is entitled to the full one-third discount for his earliest plea. For the sole offence the defendant stands convicted, he is therefore sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment.