Hong Kong and Australian authorities have jointly cracked down on an international drug trafficking syndicate that allegedly smuggled narcotics concealed in stone statues, confiscating nearly 20kg (44lbs) of illegal substances and arresting two local residents, including a 17-year-old boy.
The teenager was arrested in Perth by Australian authorities, while a 27-year-old man was detained in Hong Kong, according to the Customs and Excise Department, police said on Wednesday.
Inspector Kwan Chun-yin of the city’s customs drug investigation bureau said that 12.5kg of suspected methamphetamine, also known as Ice, with an estimated street value of HK$6.8 million (US$870,000), was seized in Hong Kong.
He added that customs officers discovered a Tsim Sha Tsui office where statues containing the drugs were stored before being smuggled to other countries.
During the Australian authorities’ arrest of the Hong Kong boy in Perth on June 25, they seized 6kg of cocaine and 1kg of crystal meth in his flat.
“We believe the drug trafficking syndicate arranged for [the boy] to fly to Australia to collect shipments and handle illegal drugs,” Kwan said.
Australian authorities alerted Hong Kong customs earlier in June after discovering 6kg of cocaine concealed in stone statues in a shipment from the city.
After that investigation, customs officers intercepted three Australia-bound shipments declared as carrying stone statues in the Kowloon offices of logistics companies. The goods were seized on June 14, June 18 and June 20.
In these shipments, officers found 12kg of suspected crystal meth concealed in the statues designed for decoration and feng shui purposes.
Two days before the teenager’s arrest in Perth, Hong Kong customs officers arrested the 27-year-old man in Tsim Sha Tsui and raided an office in the same district, where they seized 500 grams of suspected liquid meth, drug paraphernalia and equipment to make stone statues.
Kwan said the seized drugs were worth about HK$6.8 million, but their value could have quadrupled if successfully smuggled into Australia.
He added that the two suspects have been charged with drug-related offences and remanded in custody in Hong Kong and Australia, and that further arrests could not been ruled out as the investigation was still ongoing.
Kwan warned residents against accepting money from criminals to engage in drug trafficking activities.
He said customs would continue sharing intelligence with mainland Chinese and overseas law enforcement agencies to combat drug trafficking activities.
In Hong Kong, drug trafficking is punishable by life in prison and a HK$5 million fine.
Seizures of five major illegal drugs – cannabis, cocaine, crystal meth, heroin and ketamine – by police and customs rose 27 per cent to 4,749kg between January and May this year, up from 3,729kg over the same period last year.