Hong Kong police arrest two men and seize 30kg of cocaine in raid on mini-storage facility
Officers looking into source of HK$36 million haul
Hong Kong police arrested two alleged drug traffickers over the weekend, seizing HK$36 million (US$4.6 million) worth of suspected cocaine from a mini-storage facility.
Officers raided the centre in an industrial building on Hok Yuen Street in Hung Hom at about 2pm on Saturday, where they found 28.25kg of the contraband. One of the men, aged 27, was picked up outside the centre and 2kg of suspected cocaine found on him. The other suspect, 33, was caught outside the building.
Chief Inspector Tam Tsz-wai of the Narcotics Bureau said initial investigations showed the mini-storage cubicle had been used to store the drugs for about a month.
Police are still investigating the source of the haul and whether it had been moved from another such facility.
Cabby held after police find HK$250,000 worth of crack cocaine in taxi
This is not the first time drugs have been seized from a mini-storage centre, but the bureau’s Senior Superintendent Ng Kwok-cheung said the force had not noticed a trend of illegal drugs being stored at such locations.
He said the facility had been used because it operated around the clock and was “cheap” compared to renting a residential flat.
Police said the two suspects were charged with trafficking in dangerous drugs and they appeared at Kowloon City Court. The two men were remanded to Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre and the case was adjourned to December 10.
Three arrested and HK$9 million worth of drugs seized
Police earlier arrested three people and seized HK$9 million worth of illegal drugs, including cocaine and crystal meth, when they shut down an illegal drug manufacturing centre in a Yuen Long village house on October 3.
In Hong Kong, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a HK$5 million fine.
According to official statistics, local authorities seized 355kg of cocaine across the city in the first six months of this year, a 97.2 per cent rise from 180kg in the same period last year.
