Police seize record etomidate haul in Lai Chi Kok
Bastillepost · 4 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong police said they had uncovered their largest-ever etomidate case after raiding a logistics company office in an industrial building in Lai Chi Kok on 6 October and seizing about 25 kilograms of suspected etomidate powder worth more than HK$31 million. Two men, a 47-year-old non-Chinese man and a 48-year-old local man, were arrested in the operation and are being held for investigation. Investigators said the drugs were allegedly stored behind the cover of a legitimate logistics business, with packaging materials found on site suggesting an attempt to disguise the drugs as ordinary courier parcels. Police also said they could not rule out that the stockpile was being built up for distribution to entertainment venues during the Halloween period.
Key Points
- The Narcotics Bureau raided a logistics company office in a Lai Chi Kok factory building on 6 October and found 25 packets containing about 25 kilograms of suspected etomidate powder.
- Police said the haul was worth more than HK$31 million and was the largest etomidate seizure on record by the force.
- A 47-year-old non-Chinese man was arrested inside the unit, while a 48-year-old local man believed to be a company employee was arrested nearby.
- Senior Inspector Chu Chun-yip (朱俊業) said the powder could be processed into more than 120,000 etomidate vape cartridges.
- Investigators said the logistics company was legally registered and had real business operations, but may have been used as cover to store drugs arriving from overseas.
Why It Matters
Police linked the case to a drug that they said has become commonly abused by young people, raising concern about possible circulation into nightlife settings during a holiday period. The case also points to the challenge for enforcement agencies when traffickers allegedly use legitimate business fronts and courier-style packaging to conceal dangerous drugs.