Images of more than half a tonne of suspected cocaine seized in Hong Kong last month caused quite a stir. Police narcotics bureau officers who found the drugs rightly deserve praise, but the bust must also serve as a reminder of how important it is for the city to stay focused on fighting abuse, particularly among young people.
The haul weighing over 500kg and estimated to be worth more than HK$430 million was found in a flat in Tseung Kwan O on February 23. Two men, both under the age of 25, were arrested.
The force said the drugs were believed to have entered the city in a shipment of frozen orange juice from South America. The syndicate linked to the arrested men had rented an industrial unit in Kwai Chung, where batches of suspected drugs were repackaged.
The suspects allegedly went to great lengths to hide the illicit cargo. They are believed to have processed more than 1,500 boxes of frozen orange juice.
The previous week, the force reported a separate drug bust involving suspected ketamine and cocaine worth HK$76 million.
The cases stand out after months of attention on “space oil”, which last year emerged as one of the city’s most popular recreational drugs. In early February, substances used to make it were reclassified so traffickers face punishments in line with other drugs – with the maximum penalty set at HK$5 million and life in prison.
