MORE than a tonne of herbal cannabis has been discovered in undergrowth on Lantau Island following a seven-month operation by the Narcotics Bureau.
The 1,118 kilograms of cannabis, with a street value of $67 million, was discovered on Monday afternoon. It was concealed in plastic bags and boxes in remote Sek Tsai Wan, Chi Ma Wan Peninsula, in southwest Lantau.
It is the first time a haul has been discovered dumped for collection in bushes as traffickers try to find new ways to ship consignments into the territory.
Fifty police were deployed to search several kilometres of coastline after information indicated a shipment had been landed.
The large area involved meant police were unable to locate the narcotics without a day's search, which ruled out lying in ambush for anyone collecting the stash.
Although no arrests were made, Narcotics Bureau staff officer Detective Superintendent Chris Cantley said a major local cannabis trafficking syndicate had been severely dented.
''We regard it as one of the largest cannabis smuggling syndicates in Hong Kong who will now be desperately short of money,'' he said.
