Hong Kong customs arrests 1 traveller from Europe after HK$71 million in ketamine seized in German air cargo
- Man, 24, arrested in Mong Kok two days earlier in an operation involving undercover officers, customs says
- Suspect from eastern Europe is an alleged key member of drug trafficking syndicate, source says
Hong Kong customs officers have arrested a traveller from Europe following the discovery of HK$71 million (US$9 million) worth of ketamine in two German air cargo shipments of raw amber and glitter.
Assistant Superintendent Chan Mong-tik of customs’ drug investigation bureau said on Thursday that the 24-year-old man was arrested in Mong Kok two days ago when he collected the shipments in a controlled delivery operation by undercover officers.
In a follow-up raid on the suspect’s flat in the area after his arrest on Tuesday, customs officers seized electronic scales, box cutters and several large suitcases, Chan said.
He said the seized items were believed to be used for repackaging and distributing illegal drugs.
“The investigation revealed that the man entered Hong Kong on March 31 and rented the flat on April 6,” Chan said.
“We believe a drug trafficking syndicate recently set up a drug distribution network in Hong Kong.”
He said timely enforcement action had uncovered the new drug storage centre and prevented illegal narcotics from being distributed in the city.
A source familiar with the case said a preliminary investigation suggested the 129kg haul of ketamine was for local consumption.
He said the suspect came from eastern Europe and was an alleged key member of the drug trafficking syndicate.
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The man was detained on suspicion of drug trafficking – an offence punishable by up to life in prison and a HK$5 million fine.
Part of the 129kg haul was discovered when customs officers at the airport’s cargo terminal selected a shipment of 238kg of raw amber in a box from Germany at daybreak on Tuesday.
Acting senior inspector Yeung Tsz-ho of customs’ air cargo examination unit said X-rays images indicated the box contained two or more substances.
“Inside the box, there were 38 white nylon bags with their openings tied with a seal. It is unusual packaging for low-value raw amber,” he said.
In each nylon bag, there were two transparent plastic bags. One of the bags contained brown or white stones of different shapes while the other one had granules of a milky white colour.
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Yeung said samples of the milky white granular substance tested positive for ketamine.
He said that “100kg of suspected ketamine was seized in this shipment and the estimated street value of the seized drug reached HK$55 million”.
On the same day, customs seized 29kg of suspected ketamine worth HK$16 million in another air consignment declared as carrying 108kg of glitter in 68 bottles from Germany.
According to the Customs and Excise Department, the investigation was still under way and further arrests were possible.
Chan said customs would continue to apply a risk-assessment approach to select cargo from high-risk regions for clearance and adjust law enforcement strategies to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
Provisional figures showed seizures of the five major illegal drugs – cocaine, cannabis, methamphetamine, heroin and ketamine – rose by 68 per cent to 13.29 tonnes last year from 7.9 tonnes in 2022.
