Record haul of ketamine worth $136m seized in HK
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HONG KONG • A haul of ketamine worth over US$100 million (S$136 million) has been seized by Hong Kong officials, the police said.
The record-breaking seizure of 1.3 tonnes of the drug is the largest bust of its kind in the city's history.
Travel restrictions related to Covid-19 have forced smugglers to make riskier bulk shipments instead of using drug mules travelling through airports, the police said last Saturday.
Last Friday morning, officers intercepted the drugs as they were being offloaded from a speedboat in the seaside district of Lei Yue Mun.
"Drug trafficking syndicates use fishing boats or ocean-going vessels to transport the drugs to the high seas near Hong Kong waters," chief inspector Ip Sau Lan said at a press conference.
"Then they arrange speedboats to smuggle the drugs to shore."
Three local men and a man of Indian nationality, aged between 32 and 47, were arrested and remain in custody. Police said an investigation is ongoing and did not rule out further arrests.
Traffickers will likely continue to smuggle drugs in bulk if Hong Kong maintains its pandemic-related travel restrictions, the police added.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
