Customs busts industrial cannabis oil drug operation
HK01 · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong Customs said it had dismantled a suspected drug-making workshop and a distribution centre operating out of two industrial building units in Kowloon. A 46-year-old Indonesian man, described as unemployed and holding a recognizance form, was arrested in Prince Edward on August 18 and has been charged with one count of manufacturing a dangerous drug and two counts of trafficking in a dangerous drug.
Key Points
- Customs investigators, acting on intelligence and a deeper probe, identified two suspected drug-linked industrial units in Kowloon Bay and Yau Tong.
- After the arrest in Prince Edward, officers searched the Kowloon Bay unit and found about 1.9kg of suspected cannabis oil and 2.4kg of suspected cannabis gummies.
- A further search at the Yau Tong unit uncovered about 2,200 suspected cannabis oil vape cartridges, about 7 grams of suspected cannabis gummies and packaging tools.
- Customs said the suspect allegedly handled production, packaging, transfer, storage and distribution himself, moving finished products from Kowloon Bay to Yau Tong.
- Officers also seized metal pots, syringes, electronic scales, an induction cooker and flavouring oils, with the total haul valued at about HK$1.3 million.
Why It Matters
Customs said traffickers were adding fruit flavourings such as melon, grape or lychee during production to lower young people's guard and make the products more appealing. The case also points to continued enforcement focus on industrial units being used to split production, storage and distribution across different locations to reduce detection risk.