Police show evidence gathered during operation “Fullview”, which targeted drug traffickers using the internet to promote the abuse of drugs. Photo: Handout
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https://scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3192728/three-15-year-olds-among-16-suspected-drug-traffickers Law and Crime
Three 15-year-olds among 16 suspected drug traffickers arrested in Hong Kong police operation
- Police target criminals who use social media to promote narcotics abuse among young people
- Officers seize cannabis buds and ketamine in raids on an industrial flat in Tai Kok Tsui and a guest house in Tsim Sha Tsui
Police arrest a suspected drug trafficker during operation “Fullview”. Photo: Handout
Three 15-year-olds were among 16 suspected drug traffickers rounded up in a three-day operation with the seizure of HK$200,000 (US$25,000) worth of narcotics in Hong Kong, police said on Friday.
The arrest operation, code-named “Fullview”, was carried out between Tuesday and Thursday after officers from the Western district’s special duties squad gathered evidence on the internet in July and August.
Chief Inspector Yim Cheuk-kwan of the district said the force had noticed drug traffickers used social media to promote narcotics abuse among young people.
“They also mislead young people into believing that cannabis is not a dangerous drug. They even use money or free drugs to lure youngsters into drug-trafficking activities,” he said.
After identifying suspected drug traffickers, officers swooped into action and arrested 14 men and two women in the past three days.
The suspects, aged 15 to 28, were detained on suspicion of trafficking in a dangerous drug, punishable by up to life imprisonment and a HK$5 million fine.
Yim said the suspects included students from secondary schools and tertiary institutions, and six of them were aged under 18.
Officers also seized cannabis buds and ketamine in raids on an industrial flat in Tai Kok Tsui and a guest house in Tsim Sha Tsui. Police said the investigation showed the two premises were used as storage facilities for illegal drugs.
The chief inspector said officers seized 400 grams (14 ounces) of cannabis buds and 200 grams (7 ounces) of ketamine in the three-day operation and the haul had an estimated street value of HK$200,000.
Yim urged youth to stay away from illegal drugs and not to get involved in drug trafficking, while also calling on parents to pay more attention to their children to prevent them from taking part in such activities.
Between January and June this year, nine male students, aged 13 or 14, were “exploited by drug syndicates” and arrested on suspicion of trafficking illegal substances, according to police.
The force highlighted the cases while announcing the city’s half-year crime statistics in July.
The figures show the number of young people aged 10 to 20 arrested for various crimes dropped by 18 per cent to 1,245 in the first six months of this year.
Despite a drop in the number of arrests among young people, the problem of vulnerable youth being exploited by lawbreakers to commit offences “remained a concern”, the force said in July.