Two teens charged over ketamine hidden in lamp posts
Thestandard · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong Customs has charged two Secondary Two students, aged 13 and 14, with trafficking in dangerous drugs after intercepting a parcel containing suspected ketamine worth about HK$2.6 million. Officers found around 6.4 kilograms of the suspected drug concealed inside 17 garden lamp posts in a shipment that arrived from Belgium and had been declared as garden posts. The case led to a controlled delivery operation in Ngau Tau Kok on Monday afternoon, where the two boys were arrested after allegedly collecting and handling the parcel. They are due to appear at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday
Key Points
- Customs officers detected the parcel at Hong Kong International Airport on August 27 during inspection of a shipment arriving from Belgium
- The parcel had been declared as containing garden posts, but an X-ray examination revealed irregularities that prompted a closer search
- Officers uncovered about 6.4 kilograms of suspected ketamine hidden inside 17 garden lamp posts, with an estimated street value of HK$2.6 million
- After a controlled delivery in Ngau Tau Kok on Monday afternoon, officers arrested two boys aged 13 and 14
- The parcel was originally addressed to a public housing unit in Kwai Chung, and the 14-year-old was reportedly promised HK$2,000
Why It Matters
The case points to the continued use of international mail channels and everyday household items to conceal suspected drugs entering Hong Kong. It also raises concern that teenagers may be drawn into trafficking operations through relatively small cash offers, exposing them to serious criminal charges at a very young age