You Can Get Arrested for Bringing Even Just 1 Bottle of Cough Syrup into China, Here’s Why

If you’re travelling to China anytime soon then do take note of this! It is not advisable to take any form of cough medicine, especially those that contain codeine into the country.

Source: China Press

Source: MSN

It was reported by Sinchew that to prevent people from misusing the cough syrup to be made into other forms of illegal drugs, travellers should not bring cough medicine into the country. Apparently, a notice was issued on January 4, 2019 that a traveller surnamed Zheng was currently in lockup after the customs officer suspected that he was smuggling drugs into the country via cough syrup.

It is unclear about the amount of cough syrup he was bringing into China through Shenzhen but there have been sources who mentioned that he brought only one bottle in. Since Hong Kong is still selling cough syrup laced with codeine and Ephedrine Hydrochloride, there are people who have been taking advantage of this to smuggle it into China. 

Source: MSN

Source: MSN

The ingredients in these cough syrups can be extracted and then made into methamphetamine, which is illegal. However, if you insist on bringing in your own bottle of cough syrup, you must provide a doctor’s prescription proving that you are bringing the bottle in for your own use. 

Although cough syrup laced with codeine and Ephedrine Hydrochloride are supposed to be sold only in the presence of a pharmacist, there are people who have managed to buy them successfully in Hong Kong without any pharmacist there. As such, pharmacists in Hong Kong have been urged to advise consumers not to bring these cough syrups into China when they are travelling.

Remember this if you are going to China and try not to bring those meds into the country!

Also read: 7 Tourists Arrested in Phuket For Conducting Pre-Wedding Photoshoot Illegally