Death of suspected Hong Kong drug abuser leads police to narcotics den; 2 women arrested

The worker was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene, according to the force.

Emergency personnel did not find any injuries or suspicious wounds on the man’s body and there were no signs of a struggle, the source said, adding that personal belongings such his wallet, identity card and mobile phone were not stolen.

“The investigation with his family revealed the victim did not have any known illness but had a drug habit,” he said.

Police carried out door-to-door inquiries in the building and discovered a drug den on the fourth floor.

“Inside the premises, officers seized 14 syringes containing suspected illegal drugs,” the source said.

Hong Kong police arrest 3 in connection with drug trafficking, fatal hit-and-run

Police arrested two women aged 43 and 49 in the flat. They were detained on suspicion of possessing an apparatus fit for consumption of a dangerous drug – an offence punishable by up to three years in jail and a HK$10,000 fine.

“Preliminary investigation suggested the victim might have died from an overdose of illegal drugs in the premises,” the source said.

He said an autopsy would be carried out to ascertain the cause of the death.

“Based on the initial investigation, the man was suspected to have passed out in the flat before being dragged to the staircase,” a police spokesman said.

Hong Kong police arrest 5, seize HK$215 million in drugs from South America

As of Monday morning, the two women were still being held for questioning. Detectives from the Tsuen Wan district crime squad are investigating the case.

Provisional figures show 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.

Last year, police handled 1,153 reports of serious drug offences across the city compared with 1,436 cases logged in 2022.