Record seizure of ketamine (with photo)

Police have seized over 151 kilograms of suspected ketamine with a retail value of more than $37 million, a record seizure so far, and arrested two men during an operation mounted in Sai Kung yesterday (January 3).

Since December 2005, officers of the Narcotics Bureau commenced an investigation against a ketamine trafficking syndicate active in Hong Kong.

After detailed and thorough investigations, officers successfully identified a drug store in Ho Chung New Village on Nam Bin Wai Road in Sai Kung as well as two major syndicate members, men aged 44 and 38.

Believing that the duo was about to dispatch drug samples to retail-level traffickers after the New Year holiday, officers took immediately arrest action yesterday and intercepted the 44-year-old man after he had left the drug store shortly after 5.50 pm. Twenty-eight grams of suspected ketamine was found on him.

A search on the target premises led to a further seizure of 38 packages of suspected ketamine with a total weight of 151 kilograms, an electronic scale, a vacuum-packing machine and lots of empty tinfoil packages. The 38-year-old man inside the premises was thus arrested.

The source of the drug was still under investigation. Police believed that a portion of the seizure was for local distribution to public entertainment premises.

"We believe that the operation has dealt a severe blow to the syndicate and we will continue our investigations with a view to weeding out the whole syndicate before the drugs can be disseminated to retail-level traffickers," a Police spokesman said.

The duo is still being detained by the Narcotics Bureau for enquiries.


Add Police Report No. 8
Issued by PPRB

End/Wednesday, January 4, 2006