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A major local drug syndicate that used cross-border online video games and social media platforms to recruit young mainland Chinese men under the guise of quick money has been dismantled by Hong Kong police.
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Following an intensive investigation, officers from the Yau Tsim District conducted targeted anti-narcotics raids across multiple districts on Thursday.
The operation resulted in the arrest of four men and the seizure of approximately 9.5 kilograms of illicit substances with an estimated market value of HK$7.2 million.
Suspicious behavior leads to initial arrest
The syndicate's operations began to unravel in the early hours of Thursday, when patrol officers in Tsim Sha Tsui spotted a 21-year-old mainland man behaving suspiciously.
When the suspect attempted to flee, officers quickly subdued him and escorted him back to his nearby apartment for a search.
Inside the flat, police uncovered 399 grams of ketamine and 193 grams of crack cocaine, leading to his immediate arrest on drug trafficking charges.
Following the initial arrest, the Yau Tsim District Criminal Investigation Team took over the case.
By conducting extensive security camera footage analysis, detectives identified another apartment in Tsuen Wan that the syndicate was renting as a secondary drug packaging and distribution center.
Officers set up an ambush outside the Tsuen Wan unit later that day, arresting a 19-year-old mainland man and seizing 2.1 liters of etomidate, alongside 781 grams of ketamine, methamphetamine, and cocaine.
Syndicate masterminds nabbed in New Territories
Further investigations revealed that the two mainland suspects had both been lured to Hong Kong specifically to manage these distribution hubs.
The syndicate had targeted them through cross-border online gaming platforms and social media, promising high payouts for easy work.
Detectives subsequently identified the core members of the syndicate responsible for renting the properties and recruiting the mainland youths.
In a coordinated follow-up operation on the same day, police arrested two local men in Sham Shui Po and Sheung Shui on conspiracy to traffic dangerous drugs.
A subsequent search of a private residence rented by one of the local suspects in Sheung Shui yielded an additional haul of over 8.1 kilograms of cocaine.
Syndicate operational for just one month
Authorities believe the syndicate had only been operational for about a month before being dismantled.
The four arrested individuals, comprising two mainland residents and two Hong Kong locals, are aged between 18 and 27 and all claim to be unemployed.
They have been officially charged with drug trafficking and conspiracy to traffic dangerous drugs, with their cases presented at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts on Saturday.
Police used the opportunity to issue a stern warning to young people, urging them to remain vigilant against online advertisements promising lucrative payouts, as the consequences of drug trafficking far outweigh any temporary financial gain.
Homeowners were also advised to carefully vet the backgrounds and identities of their tenants and to report any suspicious activities or unexplained visitors to the police immediately to prevent their properties from being exploited by criminal syndicates.
Under Hong Kong law, drug trafficking is a premier offense carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of HK$5 million.
