Cocaine worth HK$14 million found in noodle-making machines as South American and European arrested in Hong Kong raids
Some 14kg of the drug is confiscated in two separate busts, bringing total haul from four raids this month to 70kg – the biggest amount so far this year from a single operation
Two men from South America and Europe believed to be the masterminds of a global drug syndicate were arrested on Monday at luxury properties in Hong Kong’s upscale Gold Coast neighbourhood.
Customs officers involved in raiding three flats discovered sachets of cocaine concealed in the metal shafts of noodle-making machines shipped from South America via mainland China. Similar discoveries had been made in previous raids in recent weeks.
The drug bust, together with another on Friday in To Kwa Wan, Kowloon, netted a total of 14kg of cocaine worth HK$14 million (US$1.78 million). Since the beginning of March, 70kg have been seized in related raids across the city – the largest amount so far this year from a single operation.
Monday’s raid at Gold Coast, a low-density residential neighbourhood near Tuen Mun in northwest Hong Kong, provided a rare glimpse into the delicate operation against the drug trafficking ring.
Inspector John Yip Lap-man from the Customs Drug Investigation Bureau revealed that one of the flats had been converted into a drug processing plant – more often found in industrial buildings. He said moving the operation to residential units was a tactic to evade detection.
Soundproof materials lined the walls of one of the properties, Yip added, to muffle the noise of the heavy machinery, which was found together with 2kg of cocaine and HK$110,000 in cash.
