Hong Kong drug trafficking syndicates are using vehicles as their mobility storage facilities to evade detection, police have revealed after discovering HK$22 million (US$2.8 million) worth of narcotics hidden in the boot of a car in the New Territories.
Senior Inspector Ho Ho-ting of the narcotics bureau said on Monday a man, 31, and his 19-year-old girlfriend were arrested after officers found illegal drugs stored in a vehicle at an outdoor car park in Tai Hang Village in Tai Po. The pair were intercepted for a stop-and-search at the Shek Wu Hui area of Sheung Shui on Saturday.
“In the car park, officers seized 29kg [64lbs] of suspected cocaine in the boot of a private car,” Ho said. “The seized drugs have an estimated street value of HK$22 million.”
The pair are being held on suspicion of trafficking in a dangerous drug, an offence punishable by up to life in prison and a HK$5 million fine, according to the force.
As of Monday morning, the suspects were still being held for questioning.
The senior inspector said police discovered drug trafficking syndicates had recently used vehicles for storage and that they parked them in secluded areas such as villages in the New Territories.
“They keep moving [illegal drugs] to different locations in an attempt to make the police investigation more difficult,” Ho said.
He appealed to operators of car parks to contact police if they discovered any suspicious activities under their management.
He said police would spare no effort to combat various drug trafficking tactics used by criminals and bring them to justice.
The senior inspector reminded the public, especially young people, not to fall for the quick-cash bait offered by drug dealers.
The amount of cocaine confiscated by police and customs officers between January and May this year reached about 1.5 tonnes, down 6kg from the same period in 2023.
On July 18, police made the city’s biggest cocaine bust this year, seizing HK$300 million worth of the drug in a Yuen Long flat. A 22-year-old man was arrested in connection with the case.
In the first five months of this year, the combined seizures of five major illegal drugs – cannabis, cocaine, Ice, heroin and ketamine – rose by 27 per cent to 4.7 tonnes from 3.7 tonnes over the same period in 2023.
