Man arrested as Hong Kong customs seizes 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…
Customs officials in Hong Kong have arrested an individual and seized HK$42 million (US$5.3 million) worth of a prohibited narcotic known as "space oil" from a clandestine manufacturing facility. Senior investigator Chan Kit-lun of the Customs and Excise Department's drug investigation bureau reported that officers apprehended a suspicious man on Tuesday and led him to a property in Kam Tin, Yuen Long.
Inside the residence, authorities discovered over 3,000 suspected cartridges containing etomidate, previously referred to as space oil, approximately 13.4kg (29.5lbs) of liquid etomidate, 3kg of etomidate powder, and various drug-manufacturing and packaging equipment. The syndicate had installed a semi-automated production line equipped with a high-precision liquid-filling machine.
Chan explained that if the seized raw materials were fully processed using the production line, they could potentially yield up to 160,000 etomidate cartridges in a short period, presenting a significant risk if distributed on the market. Etomidate is an anesthetic that the authorities upgraded from a Part I poison to a dangerous drug in February of the previous year.
The suspect faces charges of manufacturing and trafficking in a dangerous drug, with the possibility of a life sentence and a HK$5 million fine under Hong Kong law.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
