Hong Kong police arrest 3 teenagers with ‘space oil’ products worth HK$1 million
Trio with triad links, including two minors, allegedly manufactured the narcotic products and sold them at illegal venues or online
Hong Kong police have arrested three people, including two students aged 14 and 16, for allegedly making “space oil” products worth HK$1 million (US$128,800) and selling them at illegal entertainment venues or online.
The trio – an 18-year-old man, a 16-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy – were caught in a raid on a village house in Kam Tsin Tsuen in Sheung Shui.
They were arrested on suspicion of manufacturing a dangerous drug, an offence that carries a maximum HK$5 million fine and life imprisonment.
“Among those arrested were two minors. It is believed that the drug traffickers lured and exploited these young people by offering them free drugs and meagre payments,” Chief Inspector Tai Yuk-lun of the New Territories North anti-triad squad said on Thursday.
“Police strongly condemn this practice and will seek heavier penalties against the drug traffickers in accordance with the law.”
Space oil is a narcotic that is typically packaged in e-cigarette capsules and contains the anaesthetic etomidate, which has been classified as a dangerous drug under Hong Kong law since February 14.
The investigation revealed that the three suspects, who shared a triad background, had previously attended the same school, with the oldest having dropped out while the younger two remained enrolled as students.