Hong Kong police seize 23.3kg of ‘happy powder’, biggest bust of date-rape drug in 10 years
- Police warn residents to be on their guard while socialising at bars or other entertainment venues
Hong Kong police have made their biggest seizure of a date-rape drug known as “happy powder” in a decade after confiscating 23.3kg (51lbs) of the illegal substance at a public housing flat, prompting the force to warn bar-goers to be on their guard over spiked drinks.
Senior Inspector Tong Wai-kwok of the force’s narcotics bureau said on Wednesday a suspected female drug trafficker was arrested when the haul was seized the previous day.
Tong said officers arrested the 31-year-old woman outside her Tuen Mun flat on suspicion of trafficking in a dangerous drug – an offence punishable by up to life in prison.
“There were 4,654 packs of the narcotic weighing 23.3kg in her handbag and a suitcase found inside the flat,” he said.
Tong said the illegal substance had an estimated street value of HK$2.3 million (US$294,460), adding it was the biggest seizure of the drug since it was first discovered in the city in 2013.
According to the senior inspector, “happy powder” is a mixture of different drugs such as ketamine and PMMA, or para-methoxymethamphetamine.
“Happy powder is more toxic than crystal meth and Ecstasy, making it more potent,” Tong warned, adding that an overdose could affect a person’s heart rate and in severe cases lead to cardiac arrest.
Tong said it came in the shape of granulated sugar and different flavours and colours.
Happy powder, which is highly soluble and concealable, could be secretly added to drinks by criminals to incapacitate others, Tong said.
A police source said users of the mixture might experience euphoria and reduced inhibitions.
“Happy powder can be slipped into drinks of bar-goers and used as a date-rape drug, leaving consumers in a confused state,” the insider said.
He said the fruit-flavoured mixture came in solid form but other common date-rape drugs such as GBL, or gamma-Butyrolactone, and Rohypnol were in liquid form and were tasteless, odourless and colourless.
Tong warned people to be on their guard while socialising in bars or other entertainment venues, especially during the summer and long holiday periods.
“It is important to be wary of strangers offering drinks and to never let your own drink out of your sight,” he added.
Police said they believed the 23.3kg haul was delivered to the flat on Monday, adding that the force’s operation prevented the illegal drugs from circulating in the city’s underground market.
Tong said investigations suggested the woman was recruited by a drug-trafficking syndicate and was paid thousands of dollars to store the substance at her flat and also serve as courier. But she was arrested before receiving the money.
“Like other cases, the promised rewards have not materialised. At the end, those recruited by drug trafficking syndicates have become a scapegoat for the criminal organisations,” Tong said.
He said police would continue to carry out intelligence-led operations to stop illegal drugs being smuggled into the city.
Official figures showed seizures of the five major illegal drugs – cocaine, cannabis, methamphetamine, heroin and ketamine – rose by 68 per cent to 13.29 tonnes last year from 7.9 tonnes in 2022.
