Hong Kong police arrest 25-year-old man over drug trafficking and seize more than HK$12 million worth of narcotics
- Officers raid two units in industrial building and seize 12.5kg of heroin, 8kg of cannabis buds, 270 cannabis oil cartridges and small quantities of hallucinogenic mushrooms and LSD
- Force says two flats believed to be base for syndicate to manufacture and traffic drugs for local market
Hong Kong police have arrested a man and seized more than HK$12 million (US$1.53 million) worth of drugs from two industrial building units in Yau Tong suspected to be the manufacturing base for a drug syndicate.
During an operation on Friday and Saturday, officers raided the two units in the industrial building on Ko Fai Road in Yau Tong and seized a total of 12.5kg (27.5lbs) of heroin, 8kg of cannabis buds, 270 cannabis oil cartridges and small quantities of cannabis candy, cannabis cookies, hallucinogenic mushrooms and LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide).
The force said the two flats were believed to be the base for the syndicate to manufacture and traffic drugs for the local market.
“These drugs have an estimated street value of over HK$12 million,” said Fung Pak-hei, a senior inspector with the Kowloon East anti-triad division, on Sunday.
Police arrested a 25-year-old local man on suspicion of manufacturing and trafficking in dangerous drugs, Fung added.
Officers also discovered drug manufacturing and packaging tools in the units.
“We believe we have nipped the supply chain of the drug syndicate in the bud,” Fung said. “The suspect has been detained for further investigation and we will be tracing the source of the raw materials.”
He emphasised that the most severe sentence for both crimes of manufacturing and trafficking of dangerous drugs was life imprisonment and a HK$5 million fine.
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Fung warned young people against being persuaded by syndicates to take part in the manufacturing or trafficking of drugs.
“These syndicates will add unknown chemicals or liquids to the drugs during the manufacturing process and cause further harm to the users,” he said.
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Earlier this month, police arrested a 17-year-old for allegedly packing and distributing HK$3 million worth of suspected ketamine and crack cocaine out of his home.
In March, officers arrested four residents and confiscated suspected narcotics worth HK$6.11 million in a crackdown on a drug trafficking syndicate that used hotel rooms for storage.
