Man arrested as Hong Kong customs seize HK$42 million worth of ‘space oil’
Hong Kong customs has arrested a man and seized HK$42 million (US$5.3 million) worth of the illegal narcotic “space oil” from a drug workshop fitted with a semi-automated production line capable of producing up to 160,000 cartridges in a short period. Senior investigator Chan Kit-lun of the Customs and Excise Department’s drug investigation bureau said officers intercepted a suspicious man on…
Hong Kong customs authorities have apprehended an individual and seized HK$42 million (approximately US$5.3 million) worth of illegal "space oil," a narcotic substance, from a drug manufacturing facility. The investigation, led by senior investigator Chan Kit-lun of the Customs and Excise Department's drug investigation bureau, revealed that a suspicious man was intercepted on Tuesday and brought to a property in Kam Tin, Yuen Long.
Inside the property, officers discovered over 3,000 suspected cartridges containing etomidate, liquid etomidate weighing about 13.4kg (29.5lbs), 3kg of etomidate powder, and various tools used for drug production and packaging.
The syndicate operating the facility had installed a semi-automated production line equipped with a high-precision liquid-filling machine. According to Chan, if the raw materials were processed using the production line, they could have yielded up to 160,000 etomidate cartridges in a short period, posing a significant risk if released onto the market. Etomidate is an anaesthetic that was reclassified as a dangerous drug in February of the previous year.
The suspect is expected to face charges of manufacturing and trafficking in dangerous drugs, with the possibility of a life imprisonment sentence and a HK$5 million fine under Hong Kong law.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
