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Clifford Lo

Hong Kong police have arrested a university student for drug trafficking in a major operation that netted nearly HK$200 million (US$25.6 million) worth of narcotics.
The 22-year-old suspect was stopped when he left a Cheung Sha Wan industrial unit on Wednesday. Officers seized 8kg of heroin in a backpack he was carrying.
Inside the unit, police found another 78kg of heroin and 148kg of crystal meth, also known as Ice.
“The haul has an estimated market value of HK$195 million,” acting chief superintendent Ng Wing-sze of the narcotics bureau said on Thursday.
It was the force’s biggest seizure of crystal meth and heroin in a single operation this year, she added.
Ng said a drug trafficking syndicate used the unit as its main storage centre.

The warehouse was located after officers raided and closed down another five small-scale drug storage centres in Hung Hom, Sheung Shui, Fanling, Ma On Shan and Tseung Kwan O, seizing 96.3kg of illegal drugs and arresting 12 people between May and July.
Locations including a hotel room, village house, flat and industrial unit were used for those bases, also controlled by the same gang, according to the force.
Ng said the “sophisticated” syndicate moved drugs from the Cheung Sha Wan warehouse to the five smaller storage centres in an effort to “lower their risk of being detected by police and other law enforcement”.
Hong Kong customs makes biggest-ever cannabis bust, raids hi-tech farm
She said the syndicate also had youngsters do the most risky tasks, such as renting the premises to store illegal drugs, moving narcotics into those storage centres, and selling merchandise to buyers.
“The key members of the syndicate never showed up to do such illegal activities,” she said. “All the risks [of being captured] were passed to these youngsters.”
Police arrested a total of 13 people, aged between 16 and 45, with eight of the suspects under the age of 21.
According to the force, an investigation discovered the suspects were paid between several hundred dollars to more than HK$1,000 per job.
Stressing that trafficking in a dangerous drug carried a maximum penalty of life in prison and a HK$5 million fine, Ng warned youths not to be lured into such illegal activities.

Superintendent Chan Kong-ming said he believed the gang had been operating since February. Police were still investigating the source of the drugs, he said, adding that the investigation was continuing and further arrests were possible.
As of 4pm on Thursday, the 22-year-old student was still being held for questioning.
Ng said the suspect was likely to be charged with drug trafficking and would be brought before West Kowloon Court on Friday.
Last month, police and customs officers confiscated HK$586 million worth of narcotics.
According to official statistics, seizures of cocaine, cannabis, crystal meth, ketamine and heroin rose 63 per cent to about 3.68 tonnes in the first six months of this year, from around 2.25 tonnes in the same period the year before.
The seizure of Ecstasy also rose sharply to 21,770 tablets, up 745 per cent.


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Drugs

Hong Kong student arrested in HK$200 million drugs bust, as police break up ‘sophisticated’ gang

The drugs bust was the biggest seizure of crystal meth and heroin in a single operation this year for the Hong Kong Police Force. Photo: Warton Li

Drug syringe and cooked heroin on spoon. Photo: Shutterstock Images

=== PHOTO CAPTURED FROM FACEBOOK === FACEBOOK.   Picture of Chief Superintendent Ng Wing-sze of the Narcotics Bureau. 19AUG21

News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime


Police seize 86kg of heroin and 148kg of crystal meth in major operation in Cheung Sha Wan
The 22-year-old suspect likely to be charged with drug trafficking after officers bag biggest haul of illegal narcotics at one time this year



Police seize 86kg of heroin and 148kg of crystal meth in major operation in Cheung Sha Wan, and 22-year-old suspect is likely to be charged with drug trafficking.


Crime

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong police

Hong Kong student arrested in HK$200 million drugs bust, as police break up ‘sophisticated’ gang

Police seize 86kg of heroin and 148kg of crystal meth in major operation in Cheung Sha Wan The 22-year-old suspect likely to be charged with drug trafficking after officers bag biggest haul of illegal narcotics at one time this year

Police seize 86kg of heroin and 148kg of crystal meth in major operation in Cheung Sha Wan

The 22-year-old suspect likely to be charged with drug trafficking after officers bag biggest haul of illegal narcotics at one time this year