A four-month undercover operation targeting online drug sales, particularly of the emerging substance etomidate, has resulted in the arrest of 29 individuals and the seizure of over HK$3.5 million in narcotics.
Following the campaign targeting cross-border organized crime, the Kowloon East Regional Headquarters anti-triad unit has dismantled a drug trafficking network that used social media platforms to sell narcotics, with a specific focus on the trafficking of the emerging drug etomidate.
The operation was launched amid a significant increase in seizures of etomidate in Hong Kong in the first half of this year compared to 2024.
Police investigations revealed that dealers were increasingly using social media to sell etomidate and other illegal substances.
Between May and August, undercover officers posed as buyers on various social media platforms to purchase etomidate, cannabis, cocaine, and other drugs from dealers.
Through this intelligence-led operation, police successfully identified several key suspects and located three storage facilities used by the syndicate.
The operation culminated in a four-day arrest phase from August 25 to 28. The first stage took place on August 25, when officers raided three drug storage warehouses.
These locations included a factory unit in Kwun Tong, a tenement building unit in Sham Shui Po, and a village house in Tai Po.
The raids led to the seizure of a large quantity of various drugs and the arrest of 2 men and 3 women aged between 22 and 56 for "trafficking in dangerous drugs."
The second stage of the operation unfolded over the next four days.
Officers arrested individuals across Hong Kong who had allegedly sold drugs to the undercover officers, as well as suspected accomplices, including drivers used for transporting drugs.
In total, 21 men and 3 women between the ages of 13 and 66 were arrested on charges including "trafficking in dangerous drugs" and "trafficking in purported dangerous drugs."
To date, the operation has led to the arrest of 23 men and 6 women aged 13 to 66.
Two of those arrested have been charged with one count each of "trafficking in dangerous drugs," while the others have been released on bail pending further investigation.
The seized narcotics included 590 suspected etomidate cartridges, 1.5 kg of suspected cocaine, 560 grams of suspected ketamine, 580 grams of suspected cannabis bud, 400 grams of suspected methamphetamine, and approximately 25,000 suspected ecstasy tablets, with a total estimated street value of over HK$3.5 million.
