Police bust Yuen Long etomidate lab, seizing over $1m in drugs and arresting one

Police arrested a 31-year-old local man on charges of manufacturing and trafficking drugs in Yuen Long on Monday, seizing over four liters of suspected liquid etomidate vape cartridges, etomidate powder, and liquid, with a total value exceeding HK$1.07 million.

The police spokesman said, following an in-depth investigation, police had previously identified a village house subletting unit in Tai Tong Village as a suspected drug-manufacturing facility for etomidate.

Acting on this intelligence, officers laid an ambush near the location yesterday.

Around 3pm, the officers spotted a man carrying a reusable bag leaving the village house unit and immediately intercepted and searched him, discovering 10 cartridges suspected to contain liquid etomidate inside the bag.

Police then escorted the suspect back to the unit for a comprehensive search.

Inside, they uncovered a fully operational drug lab, seizing an additional 300 cartridges of liquid etomidate, approximately 404 grams of etomidate powder, and a further 4.38 liters of liquid etomidate.

Investigators also found a large quantity of drug-making equipment, including raw materials, flavored glycerin, an induction cooker, syringes, an electronic scale, and numerous empty cartridge casings.

When combined with the drugs found on the suspect, the total market value of the narcotics seized in the operation exceeded HK$1.07 million.

Police believe the drug manufacturing and storage center had been active for about a month.

The arrested man, who claimed to have triad connections, is thought to have been a key local supplier responsible for the entire process, from manufacturing and packaging to trafficking the finished product.

Investigators suspect he was paid by a drug trafficking syndicate to purify and refine the etomidate.

The police investigation is ongoing, with efforts focused on tracking the origin of the drugs and preventing their distribution into the community.

The suspect remains in detention for investigation and is scheduled to appear before the Tuen Mun Magistrate's Court tomorrow morning.

The police appeal to the public, especially young people, not to be greedy for small profits or to make quick money, in case they are used in drug crimes.

They also issued a stern reminder that drug production and trafficking are extremely serious crimes in Hong Kong, carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of HK$5 million upon conviction.