Authorities of Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong province have called for increased joint operations to combat narcotics following their efforts over the past 18 months, which have resulted in the arrest of 512 people and the seizure of 14.4 tonnes (31,746lbs) of drugs.
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Officials from mainland China’s central and local anti-drug authorities warned on Friday that the fight against narcotics had become more severe and complicated, with new technologies and types of drugs emerging.
Hong Kong hosted the first Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Anti-drug Summit on Friday, which was also attended by narcotics officials from Singapore.
“Drug control cooperation in the Greater Bay Area has achieved significant development, with major achievements in regional drug control efforts,” said Wei Xiaojun, director general of the Narcotics Control Bureau under the Ministry of Public Security, in his keynote speech.
In just the past 18 months, Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong authorities had jointly investigated 151 major drug cases, which resulted in the arrest of 512 suspects and the seizure of 14.4 tonnes of various drugs, he told the summit.
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“But the global drug situation has undergone complex and profound changes, posing new challenges to drug governance in China and the region,” he added, citing the emergence of new drugs such as etomidate, which was previously referred to as “space oil” in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong government classified etomidate and three related chemicals as dangerous under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance in February, placing them in the same category as cocaine.