Customs officers arrested a 59-year-old street level heroin trafficker, and seized 386 grams of heroin, in an anti-narcotics operation yesterday (December 19).
The seized heroin will fetch about $130,000 when retailed.
Following about two weeks long investigation, officers from the Customs Drug Investigation Bureau mounted an operation yesterday.
About 5.15pm, Customs officers intercepted a 59-year-old man acting suspiciously at the KCR Hung Hom Station. They found 288 grams of heroin in his rucksack.
In subsequent investigations, the officers found another 98 grams of heroin in another rucksack and some packaging equipment stored inside a locker in a cleansing company in Wan Chai.
Customs officers believed that the dangerous drugs seized were intended for sale to street level traffickers in Wan Chai; and the man was an active member of a syndicate.
The man will later be charged with trafficking in a dangerous drug, and will appear in Kowloon City Magistrates?Courts tomorrow (December 21).
The maximum penalty for the offence of "trafficking in dangerous drugs" under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance is life imprisonment and a fine of $5 million.
Ends/Monday, December 20, 2004