Australian police report shows crystal meth trail leading back to Hong Kong
Report shows that a shipment of Ice from the city arrives Down Under nearly every day
Hong Kong's role in the global trade in crystal meth has been laid out in stark terms by a new report, which reveals that a consignment of the illegal stimulant arrives in Australia from the city at the rate of almost one a day.
Between July 2013 and June last year, 331 shipments of the drug from Hong Kong, weighing a total of 456kg, were discovered by Australian authorities, according to yesterday's report by the Australian Crime Commission.
Hong Kong's figures were only surpassed by those of the mainland, which the report described as the "primary embarkation point" after 778kg of crystal methamphetamine - also known as Ice - was found in 277 shipments over the same period.
The report came as a Hong Kong man appeared in court in Sydney yesterday, charged with trying to smuggle 150kg of Ice from Hong Kong last month.
The 66-year-old, who police believe was operating as part of a crime syndicate, was arrested on Thursday for his alleged role in the shipment, estimated to be worth about A$100 million (HK$628 million).
Countries across the region are facing what Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott last month called a "meth epidemic".
Soaring demand for the highly addictive stimulant is being met by syndicates, often based in southern China, who can cheaply make Ice and sell it for a massive mark-up.
