Hong Kong Customs shuts down drug manufacturing centre and seizes suspected crack cocaine and suspected cocaine worth about $1.2 million (with photo)
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Hong Kong Customs yesterday (April 17) shut down a suspected drug manufacturing centre and seized about 600 grams of suspected crack cocaine and about 560g of suspected cocaine in Tai Po. The total estimated market value was about $1.2 million. One man, aged 34, suspected to be connected with the case was arrested.
During an anti-narcotics operation conducted in Tai Po yesterday afternoon, Customs officers intercepted a 34-year-old local man and seized about 570g of suspected crack cocaine inside a cross-body bag carried by him. The man was subsequently arrested. Customs officers later escorted him to a premises nearby for a search and further seized about 560g of suspected cocaine, about 30g of suspected crack cocaine and a batch of suspected drug manufacturing and packing paraphernalia.
The arrestee has been charged with one count of manufacture of a dangerous drug, one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and one count of resisting a member of the Customs and Excise Service and he will appear at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (April 19).
According to the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, the manufacture of a dangerous drug and trafficking in a dangerous drug are serious offences. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).