A MAN suspected of being one of the world's largest drug dealers is in custody in Hong Kong after being arrested at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Claude Duboc, who is alleged to have smuggled 60 tonnes of marijuana and hashish into the United States and Canada annually, is wanted to stand trial in Florida.
He was picked up by Narcotics Bureau officers at the Mandarin Oriental's Man Wah Chinese Restaurant on Friday afternoon.
US authorities allege Duboc is the financial officer of an organisation responsible for importing massive shipments of marijuana and hashish into the country.
He is alleged to have made more than US$160 million (about HK$1.2 billion) a year and to have vast sums of money at his disposal in Hong Kong, Singapore, France and the US.
Another man, believed to be from Luxembourg, was also arrested at the restaurant and has been interviewed by the Customs and Excise Department's Financial Investigation Group.
Duboc, who was travelling under another name on a British passport but is believed to be a French-born American, was staying in the $9,000-a-night Ambassador Suite at the Grand Hyatt and had about $500,000 in cash on him when detained.