Jacky Chang Ka-chun, acting superintendent of the force’s narcotics bureau, said on Wednesday that officers confiscated the drugs in two operations this week, with the haul including suspected ketamine hidden in nearly 1,500 tins of paint.
Dealers were believed to have used the tins of paint to cover up the smell of the illicit drugs.
“Syndicates have lured various people to fill different roles in the drug-trafficking chain, with detailed delegation of work, from renting a storage unit to smuggling, transporting and travelling abroad to smuggle narcotics in small amounts,” Chang said.
“The aim of this arrangement is to divide each syndicate member’s participation, making law enforcement’s job more difficult.”
A source said three of the arrested suspects had been paid between HK$10,000 and HK$50,000 each to unpack or smuggle narcotics.
Officers discovered 245 boxes in a unit inside an industrial building in Tsuen Wan on Monday. They found packets of suspected ketamine in powder form, weighing 137.2kg (302.5lbs), inside the 1,470 tins of paint.