Death of suspected Hong Kong drug abuser leads police to narcotics den; 2 women arrested
- Source says man found unconscious on staircase in Tsuen Wan tenement building, with investigation suggesting he was dragged there after passing out in nearby flat
- Police discover drug den in building and arrest two women on suspicion of possessing apparatus fit for consumption of dangerous drug
The death of a suspected drug abuser led Hong Kong police to a narcotics den in Tsuen Wan where they arrested two women on the weekend, the Post has learned.
A source familiar with the case said on Monday that the man, a 33-year-old construction worker, was found lying unconscious beside two used syringes on the staircase between the third and fourth floors of a Ho Pui Street tenement building in Tsuen Wan at around 2.20pm the day before.
The insider said traces of suspected illegal drugs were discovered in the syringes.
The worker was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene, according to the force.
Emergency personnel did not find any injuries or suspicious wounds on the man’s body and there were no signs of a struggle, the source said, adding that personal belongings such his wallet, identity card and mobile phone were not stolen.
“The investigation with his family revealed the victim did not have any known illness but had a drug habit,” he said.
Police carried out door-to-door inquiries in the building and discovered a drug den on the fourth floor.
“Inside the premises, officers seized 14 syringes containing suspected illegal drugs,” the source said.
Hong Kong police arrest 3 in connection with drug trafficking, fatal hit-and-run
Police arrested two women, aged 43 and 49, in the flat. They were detained on suspicion of possessing apparatus fit for consumption of a dangerous drug – an offence punishable by up to three years in jail and a HK$10,000 fine.
“Preliminary investigation suggested the victim might have died from an overdose of illegal drugs on the premises,” the source said.
He said an autopsy would be carried out to ascertain the cause of the death.
“Based on the initial investigation, the man was suspected to have passed out in the flat before being dragged to the staircase,” a police spokesman said.
Hong Kong police arrest 5, seize HK$215 million in drugs from South America
As of Monday morning, the two women were still being held for questioning. Detectives from the Tsuen Wan district crime squad are investigating the case.
Provisional figures show seizures of the five major illegal drugs – cocaine, cannabis, methamphetamine, heroin and ketamine – rose by 68 per cent to 13.29 tonnes last year from 7.9 tonnes in 2022.
Last year, police handled 1,153 reports of serious drug offences across the city compared with 1,436 cases logged in 2022.
