Hong Kong police seize HK$72 million worth of cocaine, arrest 2 in second major drug bust in as many days
- Police say the narcotics were found in two huts occupied by a 21-year-old man in a rural part of the New Territories
- The man and a 29-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking
Hong Kong police have arrested two suspected drug traffickers and confiscated HK$72 million (US$9.2 million) worth of cocaine in the New Territories in their second major narcotics seizure in as many days.
The 21-year-old man and 29-year-old woman were intercepted by police for a stop-and-search outside a hut in Lau Fau Shan at about 4pm on Thursday.
Senior Inspector Wu Lung of the force’s narcotics bureau said officers seized 10 slabs of cocaine weighing about 12kg (26.5 pounds) in total from a black plastic bag the man was allegedly carrying.
Police then arrested the pair on suspicion of drug trafficking – an offence that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a HK$5 million fine.
HK$75 million in cocaine seized in raids on 2 Hong Kong village houses
“In a follow-up raid on two huts in the area that the man occupied, officers seized another 41 slabs of cocaine with a total weight of 49.2kg along with a small quantity of cannabis,” Wu said.
The 61.2kg of cocaine had an estimated market value of HK$72 million, he added.
“Officers discovered that the drug traffickers used premises in remote areas as their drug storage centres in an attempt to avoid police detection,” Wu said.
The senior inspector urged villagers, especially those living in secluded areas, to call police if they found tenants, neighbours or outsiders acting suspiciously, for instance by blocking out their windows with rubbish bags or other materials.
As of Friday afternoon, the two suspects were still being held for questioning and had not been charged. Police said the investigation was continuing and further arrests were possible.
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The Thursday raid was the second major anti-narcotics operation launched by police this week.
Separately, customs officers found HK$9.3 million worth of suspected cocaine concealed in the hollow centres of 16 wooden miniatures in a parcel airmailed into the city from Panama on Wednesday.
On the same day, customs officers arrested a 23-year-old man in Kwun Tong in connection with the case. He has been charged with one count of obstructing customs officers in the execution of their duties and two counts of attempting to traffic in a dangerous drug. He is slated to be brought before Eastern Court on Saturday.
Hong Kong customs warned the public not to take part in drug trafficking activities for monetary gain.
“They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong,” the department said in its statement. “They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people, nor to release their personal data or home address to others for receiving parcels or goods.”
In another major drug bust this month, police arrested a 22-year-old university student and seized HK$200 million worth of heroin and crystal methamphetamine in a Cheung Sha Wan industrial unit on August 18.
According to official statistics, seizures of cocaine, cannabis, crystal meth, ketamine and heroin rose 63 per cent to about 3.68 tonnes in the first six months of 2021, up from around 2.25 tonnes in the same period the year before. The seizure of Ecstasy also rose sharply to 21,770 tablets, up 745 per cent.
