Asylum seekers in Hong Kong exploited by syndicate for supplying drugs, police say after arresting 2
Ng said the syndicate involved also concealed illegal drugs in tea bags or pet food packages before selling to frontline couriers to supply narcotics in entertainment venues.
Officers, acting on intelligence, intercepted a 44-year-old man for a stop-and-search outside a subdivided flat on Parkes Street in Yau Ma Tei on Tuesday, according to the force.
Police arrested the man after 14 tea bags containing 80 grams (3 ounces) of suspected cannabis buds were seized from him.
In a follow-up raid on the flat the suspect rented, officers seized 1.5kg of marijuana products such as cannabidiol oil and cannabis candies, 40 grams of suspected crystal meth, and 60 grams of what appeared to be cocaine along with packaging equipment.
During the raid at the premises, police arrested the suspect’s lover who entered the flat using a key. Officers found three tea bags containing suspected cannabis buds in the 36-year-old woman’s handbag.
The inspector said the seized narcotics had an estimated street value of about HK$600,000 and were intended for entertainment venues in the Kowloon west region.
Ng said the two suspects came from Bangladesh and were holders of recognisance forms.
He said a preliminary investigation suggested the couple’s responsibilities included managing the drug storage facility, breaking down narcotics into smaller amounts, repackaging the illegal substances, and selling to couriers.
The couple was detained on suspicion of trafficking in a dangerous drug – an offence punishable by up to life in prison and a HK$5 million fine.
As of Thursday morning, the two suspects were still being held for questioning.
The force said they did not rule out further arrests as the investigation into the origin of the drugs and other members of the syndicate were still ongoing.
Figures show seizures of the five major illegal drugs – cocaine, cannabis, methamphetamine, heroin and ketamine – went up by 68 per cent to 13.29 tonnes last year from the 7.9 tonnes recorded in 2022.