Hong Kong police seize HK$22 million of cocaine in car boot as gangs’ storage tactic uncovered

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.