3 arrested as Hong Kong police swoop on marijuana farms in 2 industrial units, HK$20 million worth of cannabis seized
- Police confiscate 733 marijuana plants, three packs of cannabis and gardening tools during two-day operation
- Two men, aged 34 and 37, suspected to be in charge of running the farms while woman, 36, is tenant of both units
The force on Sunday said officers swooped on two alleged marijuana growing dens in industrial building units on Sze Shan Street in Yau Tong and Ta Chuen Ping Street in Kwai Chung last week.
Inspector Cheung Wing-shum of Kwai Tsing district’s Special Duty Squad said police confiscated 733 marijuana plants, three packs of cannabis and gardening tools during the operation on Thursday and Friday.
The drugs had a market value of HK$19.9 million, she said.
Cheung added the male suspects, aged 34 and 37, were believed to be in charge of running the two dens and were subsequently arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis.
The men, both Vietnamese, were holders of recognisance forms – temporary immigration documents that allow the bearers to remain in the city but not work.
Cheung said one man allegedly tried to flee during his arrest despite multiple warnings from officers, and was charged with police obstruction.
A third suspect, a 36-year-old woman, was also arrested as the tenant of both units.
Officers are still looking into the relationship between the trio.
According to Cheung, the units were 1,300 sq ft and the 2,700 sq ft in size respectively, and had similar layouts.
“They were divided into smaller rooms using wooden boards … we observed the plants were split into sections according to their maturity,” she said.
Gardening gear including sun lamps, thermometers, timers, plant pots, fertilisers and soil were found in both units.
Police said the two dens had been running for about nine months and would have been able to produce around 532kg (1,173lbs) of drugs each year, worth about HK$80 million.
Cheung said it was believed none of the cannabis from the two dens made it to market.
The woman has been released on bail pending further investigation. The men’s case will be mentioned at Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts on Monday.
Those convicted of cultivating cannabis face a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, along with a fine of HK$100,000.
Last month, police arrested two alleged traffickers and seized HK$45,000 worth of suspected cannabis buds and packaging equipment from a Tseung Kwan O flat in an online drug sales case.
Authorities are also investigating allegations of indecent assault and consumption of cannabis during a University of Hong Kong nursing programme orientation camp, after a first-year student claimed online that she was groped by a senior male undergraduate and the smell of marijuana was rife throughout the event.
