Visitor charged after HK$6m ketamine stash found
HK01 · 5 SOURCESabout 17 hours ago6 MIN
Summary
Police said a narcotics operation on 14 October led officers to a residential unit on Hillwood Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, where they seized 119 packets of suspected ketamine weighing about 15 kilograms and valued at about HK$6.09 million. A 32-year-old mainland Chinese man, described as a visitor who entered Hong Kong on 14 October and was allowed to stay until 21 October, was arrested and later charged with trafficking in a dangerous drug. The force said the drugs had been concealed inside working household appliances including an ice maker and toaster, as well as hidden compartments in packaging boxes. The case is due to be heard at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts on 16 October.
Key Points
- Senior Inspector Tang Chun-wing (鄧駿穎) of the Narcotics Bureau said officers acted on intelligence analysis and in-depth investigation before raiding the Hillwood Road flat on the afternoon of 14 October.
- Investigators found 119 packets of suspected ketamine hidden in small household appliances and box compartments, and said officers had to dismantle or even damage items to uncover them.
- Police said the concealment was unusually elaborate because the hidden drugs did not affect the normal operation of appliances such as ice makers and toasters.
- Initial inquiries suggested the suspect had been recruited as a storekeeper for the stash site because of debt, with HK01 reporting he allegedly owed more than RMB400,000 after a business failure.
- Police believe the flat was being used to supply nearby entertainment venues in a busy nightlife area close to many bars and nightclubs in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Why It Matters
The case shows how traffickers may use ordinary residential premises in dense commercial districts as storage and distribution points while disguising drugs inside functioning consumer goods. It also underlines the legal and personal risks for short-term visitors recruited into local drug networks, with police reiterating that trafficking in dangerous drugs can carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a HK$5 million fine upon conviction.