Hong Kong police arrest 74, seize HK$1.6 million of drugs including ‘space oil’
Force confiscates 36 space oil capsules, 327 grams of crack cocaine, 40 grams of cocaine and 2.3kg of marijuana during anti-triad operation
Hong Kong police have arrested 74 people in an anti-triad operation and seized HK$1.6 million (US$206,000) of drugs, including “space oil”, a narcotic that has rapidly become popular among youngsters.
The 41 men and 33 women, aged between 19 and 70, were apprehended over 10 days and accused of operating gambling dens, trafficking drugs and wounding, among other offences. Some of them were believed to have triad affiliations.
“We raided five brothels and six illegal gambling dens,” Senior Inspector Ng Ka-lun said on Thursday. “We also seized a large amount of gambling equipment and cash worth more than HK$250,000.”
In a press briefing, the force displayed the confiscated items, which included cash-counting devices, a baccarat table and electronic betting machines.
The operation, conducted from March 3 to 12, targeted the financial sources of triad activities. The force seized 36 capsules of space oil, 327 grams of crack cocaine, 40 grams of cocaine and 2.3kg of marijuana.
The seized drugs are worth more than HK$1.6 million.
“Targeting triad activities and their illegal sources of income has always been one of the police’s operational priorities. Officers have always used an intelligence-led approach to tackle such activities,” he said.