Hong Kong police arrest more than 4,300, seize HK$768 million of illicit drugs, proceeds
- Officers raid 2,300 locations in two-month operation with Macau and Guangdong counterparts to combat triads and crime syndicates
Hong Kong police arrested more than 4,300 people and confiscated HK$768 million (US$98.5 million) worth of illegal drugs and suspected criminal proceeds during a two-month joint operation with Macau and Guangdong counterparts to combat triads and organised crime syndicates.
The force said on Friday the operation involved raids on about 2,300 premises, including gambling dens, vice establishments and unlicensed pubs, between June 22 and August 15.
“Throughout the operation, officers seized a significant quantity of illegal substances such as gambling paraphernalia and weapons, along with suspected proceeds of crime valued at HK$38 million and illicit drugs estimated to be worth HK$730 million,” police said.
The drugs seized included cocaine, cannabis, ketamine, crystal meth and heroin.
The annual crackdown is usually launched ahead of the July 1 handover anniversary.
During the operation, officers from the narcotics bureau made the largest cocaine seizure so far this year, confiscating HK$300 million worth of the drug in a residential flat in Yuen Long last month and arresting a 22-year-old man.
Officers arrested 4,320 people in connection with offences such as drug trafficking, money laundering, possessing offensive weapons, claiming to be a triad member and operating drug dens, gambling establishments or brothels.
The force said the suspects, aged 12 to 72, included 778 people from mainland China and 431 non-Chinese residents.
The joint operation involving police from Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong province was aimed at “curbing the activities of triad societies and organised crime syndicates, combating cross-boundary crimes and interdicting illegal sources of income”, police said.
In Hong Kong, the operation was coordinated by the city’s organised crime and triad bureau, with support from all six regions of the local police force.
“Hong Kong police will continue to maintain close communication and exchange intelligence with counterparts in mainland China and Macau to combat cross-border triad syndicates and uphold public confidence in law and order,” the force said.
Officers also targeted a cross-border syndicate that raked in HK$30 million in less than a year by bringing sex workers over the border to work in hotels, including a five-star one in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Macau police checked more than 2,600 locations and stopped and searched over 80,000 people during the two-month crackdown. More than 700 people were arrested in connection with offences such as fraud, theft, money laundering and illegal money lending.
In one of the major efforts of the operation in Macau, more than 350 officers were deployed over night on August 15, stopping more than 2,200 people for inquiries. Thirty-four suspects, including five illegal immigrants from the mainland, were arrested. Two patrol launches and four speedboats were also deployed.
The city recorded 5,156 cases of violent crime in the first six months of this year, up by 8.3 per cent from 4,759 reports over the same period in 2023.
Authorities installed 15 sets of surveillance cameras in Mong Kok in March as part of a plan to have 2,000 set up by the end of this year, with a focus on densely populated zones and high-crime areas.
Police revealed on Thursday that another 13 sets of surveillance cameras had been installed in Western on Hong Kong Island, where the central government’s liaison office is located.
