Drug run mutations in wake of bar closures

Eight students were among 39 people arrested in a HK$12.5 million seizure of ice and marijuana, as police claimed the pandemic has sparked a rise in online drug trafficking with the forced closure of bars and entertainment venues.

A total of 23.3 kilograms of the drugs were seized during the police swoop between December 15 and 19, with the arrest of 32 local men, one non-local man and six local women aged between 16 and 56.

Of these, five men aged between 38 and 56 were remanded after they appeared in Kwun Tong and West Kowloon magistrates' courts between December 16 and 19 for drug manufacturing or drug trafficking for three drug cases.

The remaining suspects have been released on bail pending investigations.

"Licensed bars, entertainment venues and party rooms [common means for accessing drugs] have temporarily closed amid the pandemic, which has given rise to the prevalence of online drug transactions," narcotics bureau superintendent Raymond Chou Wong-chung said.

Drug traffickers are said to have used social media to sell cannabis while trying to keep a low profile.

"They used keywords such as '420,' 'smoke' and 'stoner' on their social media posts so as to narrow the scope for buyers running searches," he said, referring to drug terms related to cannabis that are often used among youngsters.

"But only a few of their posts came with the drug's marked price and weight."

Chou said the drug traffickers also sugarcoated the harm of marijuana online.

"Some claimed on social media using cannabis is safer than eating fast food, suggesting that cannabis is harmless," he said.

Bureau chief inspector Ip Sau-lan said the five men charged were found in possession of 9.2 kilograms of ice, 7.5 kilograms of cannabis buds, 1.7 kilograms of herbal cannabis, 2.2 kilograms of heroin and 1.6 kilograms of ketamine.

Another 23 people arrested, including 19 men and six women aged between 16 and 34, were found to be in possession of 172 grams of herbal cannabis, 219 grams of cannabis buds, 19 millimeters of cannabidiol and 5.9 grams of LSD, Hong Kong Island region special duties team chief inspector Yuen Ho-ting said.

To avoid detection, the herbal cannabis and cannabis buds were packed into plastic storage bags and then hidden behind the packaging bags of snacks and tea leaves, he said.

Another nine men and two women aged between 18 and 36 were found to be in possession of HK$127,000 worth of drugs, including 385 grams of cannabis buds, 165 grams of herbal cannabis, nine millimeters of cannabidiol and 94 grams of magic mushroom.