Tunnel crash leads to drug and robbery charges
AM730 · 3 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A head-on crash inside Tate's Cairn Tunnel in the early hours of August 25 triggered a wider police investigation after officers found suspected drugs and paraphernalia in one of the cars. The 21-year-old male driver of the Kowloon-bound car, surnamed Chan, was arrested on multiple allegations including drug trafficking, taking a conveyance without authority, careless driving, unlicensed driving and driving without third-party insurance. Police also found he was a wanted person and later said they believed he was one of the suspects in the June 18 airport parking lot gold bar robbery. He is expected to appear at Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts on Wednesday on six charges, including conspiracy to rob
Key Points
- At about 3am on August 25, Tate's Cairn Tunnel was operating one tube in two-way traffic when two private cars collided head-on inside the tunnel.
- Police said the Kowloon-bound car contained 66 grams of suspected cocaine, five suspected etomidate e-cigarette cartridges and drug-taking tools.
- The seized drugs were estimated to have a total street value of about HK$70,000, according to the police investigation after the crash.
- The 21-year-old Chan suffered a leg or foot injury but refused hospital treatment, while remaining in police custody for investigation.
- In the Sha Tin-bound car, 54-year-old driver Lai and 37-year-old passenger Yu suffered head, waist and neck injuries and were sent to Prince of Wales Hospital.
Why It Matters
The case moved quickly from a traffic collision to a broader criminal investigation, showing how routine crash inquiries can uncover alleged drug offences and links to other serious cases in Hong Kong. For motorists, it also underlines the added public risk when tunnels are running single-tube, two-way traffic during overnight operations.