The Police Narcotics Bureau conducted a law enforcement operation in Kau Sai San Tsuen Sai Kung, last Thursday (25/1). During the operation, the police discovered that a village house was used as a drug storage warehouse to temporarily store drugs, and arrested one man and two women, aged between 21 and 47, on charges of “trafficking in dangerous drugs” and “possession of Part 1 poisons”. A total of 10 kgs of cannabis flowers, 23 kgs of approximately 46 million ecstasy pills, and 327 gms of the Part 1 poison “etomidate”, were seized, with a market value of approximately HK$5.2 million. The police stated that the number of ecstasy pills seized this time was the largest in Hong Kong in the past 20 years. It was also the seventh case in which the police discovered “etomidate”. The amount seized was also the largest in Hong Kong in the past 10 years.
Inspector Chu Siu-lin of the Narcotics Bureau’s Operation Team said that the police discovered that a drug trafficking syndicate was using remote village houses as a cover, renting units as drug storage warehouses to temporarily store drugs, and then selling them in batches.
During the operation, the police stopped a local man outside a village house in Kau Sai San Tsuen, Sai Kung, and found 5 kgs of vacuum-packed cannabis flowers in the carton he was holding. Later, the officers escorted the man back to his village house, where they seized another 5 kgs of vacuum-packed cannabis flowers, 23 kgs of approximately 46,000 ecstasy pills and 327 gms of the Part 1 poison “etomidate”, commonly known as “Space oil”.
In addition, officers found two women in the unit, who were the man’s girlfriend and mother. The police arrested three people for “trafficking in dangerous drugs” and “possessing Part 1 poisons” and are currently being detained for investigation. The man will be charged with relevant charges later and will appear at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts next Monday (29/1); while his mother and girlfriend will be released on bail pending investigation.
Chu Siu-lin said that 46 million ecstasy tablets were seized in this operation, which was the largest seizure in Hong Kong since 2004. In addition, the Part 1 poison “etomidate” seized during the operation was also the largest seizure in Hong Kong in the past 10 years. He pointed out that this is the seventh case since the police recorded the discovery of “etomidate”. In the past six cases, the ingredient “etomidate” was found in electronic cigarette guns. The “etomidate” in powder form or finished products seized this time is relatively rare.
Chu said that “etomidate” is a drug used for anaesthesia and sedation. It is an intravenous anaesthesia drug and is usually used during surgery to induce and maintain anaesthesia. In addition, “etomidate” is used as an anaesthetic drug for other medical procedures that require sedation. Chu also pointed out that “etomidate” can produce sedative and hypnotic effects on the central nervous system, and medical staff need to be in a controlled medical environment before injecting it into patients through intravenous injection.
He said that if you take an overdose of “etomidate”, you may experience trembling, dizziness, unsteadiness, and staggering; more severe symptoms may include hallucinations, bad temper, etc., affecting your mood, thinking, and behaviour. Behaviour can cause irreversible damage to brain nerves. At the same time, “etomidate” can also easily cause problems such as apnoea and bronchospasm. The police stated that they will continue to monitor the trend of “etomidate” and take enforcement actions in a timely manner.
The police emphasised that “etomidate” is a controlled substance in Schedule 1 and Schedule 3 of Part 1 of the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations, Chapter 138A of the Laws of Hong Kong. This type of item can only be sold in pharmacies in accordance with the regulations. It can only be purchased with a doctor’s prescription. The illegal sale or possession of Part 1 poisons and unregistered pharmaceutical products is a criminal offence. The maximum penalty for each offense is a fine of HK$100,000 and imprisonment for two years.
In addition, “drug trafficking” is a very serious crime. According to the “Dangerous Drugs Ordinance” Chapter 134 of the Laws of Hong Kong, the maximum penalty is life imprisonment and a fine of HK$5 million.
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