Two HK men jailed for over 34 years for trafficking 297 kg of crystal meth in 2017

Two Hong Kong men, aged 44 and 53, received prison sentences of 34 years and six months and 34 years, respectively, in the High Court on Monday after being convicted of conspiracy to traffic dangerous drugs.

The case originated from a major cross-border methamphetamine operation uncovered in 2017. 

On February 13 that year, mainland public security authorities in Guangzhou raided a drug trafficking network, arresting three mainland Chinese nationals and one Hong Kong man. 

Officers seized approximately 297 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as ice.

The arrested Hong Kong man told investigators he had been recruited and directed by the two defendants, who remained in Hong Kong, to transport the large consignment of ice across the border into the territory. 

Following the arrests, Hong Kong’s Narcotics Bureau joined forces with mainland authorities to trace the scheme's organizers.

The syndicate operated with strict discipline, relying on single-line communication to minimize the risk of detection. After a prolonged investigation, Hong Kong police arrested the two suspected controllers on May 10, 2018.

A key breakthrough came from the Hong Kong man already imprisoned in the mainland. He agreed to serve as a prosecution witness. 

Due to his incarceration, he provided testimony via video link from the mainland, directly implicating the two defendants and supplying crucial evidence that secured their convictions.

The police Narcotics Bureau described the case as a landmark achievement. It marked the first time a person arrested and serving a sentence on the mainland testified by video to help convict Hong Kong-based traffickers.

The police spokesman emphasized that the successful outcome showcased effective legal and law-enforcement cooperation between the two jurisdictions under the “one country, two systems” framework. 

The investigation faced significant hurdles, including border restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic that complicated evidence collection, as well as technical challenges in arranging and presenting remote video testimony.