Hong Kong police arrest two and seize HK$400k of suspected cocaine in drugs raid on Yau Ma Tei hotel
Hong Kong police arrested two suspected drug traffickers and seized drugs with an estimated street value of HK$400,000 in a pre-dawn raid on a Yau Ma Tei hotel today.
The two suspects, both Hongkongers, were arrested by officers from the Yau Tsim special duty squad in the Nathan Road hotel at about 2.30am.
One of the two men, aged 38, was intercepted by police at the lobby of the hotel, where he was found with 240 grams of what appeared to be cocaine, according to police.
The man was then escorted by officers to a hotel room.
“Inside the room, police picked up a local man, 35, and seized about 90 grams of suspected cocaine and a small quantity of cannabis,” police said.
At noon, the two suspects were being held for questioning and had not been charged. Officers were still investigating where the drugs were supplied from.
READ MORE: Hong Kong police smash drug factory in hotel
The raid came after a hotel room in Kowloon City which was allegedly used as a drug production and packaging centre was closed down by police in an operation that led to the discovery of illegal drugs with an estimated street value of HK$1.7 million.
Three suspected drug traffickers – a Hong Kong woman, 30, and two non-Chinese men aged 31 and 38 – were arrested during the operation on Thursday night.
Inside the room, about 1.35kg of suspected cocaine and crack cocaine was confiscated along with manufacturing and packaging equipment. Police believe they have smashed a small-scale drug production centre.
Fighting illegal drugs is one of the police commissioner’s operational priorities this year, according to the force’s website.
READ MORE: 'Staggering' increase in meth, ketamine seizures
Police figures showed seizures of cocaine rose 95 per cent to 199kg in the first eight months of this years from 102 in the same period last year.
Law enforcers also seized 462kg of ketamine and 311kg of Ice between January and August this year.
