XN000022-1991-03-14 — Page 7

THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1991

6

INT'L DRUG SYNDICATES BROKEN UP

*

HAVE BROKEN UP NARCOTICS DETECTIVES IN HONG KONG AND THE USA WHAT THEY BELIEVED TO BE TWO

DRUG SYNDICATES INTERNATIONAL FOLLOWING THE ARRESTS OF SUSPECTED KEY SYNDICATE MEMBERS BOTH IN HONG KONG AND NEW YORK.

ARRESTED FIVE PERSONS, INCLUDING FOUR MEN AND ONE WOMAN, WERE

30 WERE ARRESTED IN IN HONG KONG AND TWO AMERICAN MEN, AGED 24 AND NEW YORK IN A

UNITED STATES-HONG KONG UNDERCOVER OPERATION

JOINT

THAT LASTED THREE MONTHS.

OF SUSPECTED

NO. 4 HEROIN

IN THE OPERATION, 3.5 KILOGRAMMES WERE SEIZED IN NEW YORK WHICH CARRIED A RETAIL VALUE OF UP TO US $3.5 MILLION (HK$27 MILLION) IN THE NORTH AMERICAN MARKETS.

THE OPERATION WAS MOUNTED IN JANUARY WITH UNDERCOVER AGENTS BUYERS THE US DRUG

ADMINISTRATION (DEA) POSING AS ENFORCEMENT MANAGED TO SECURE THE DELIVERY OF THE SUSPECTED NO.4 HEROIN TO YORK IN MID-FEBRUARY.

FROM

AND

NEW

THE SUSPECTED DRUGS WERE CONCEALED IN MAHJONG TILES SENT HONG KONG.

FROM

SIMULTANEOUSLY BY OFFICERS THE TERRITORY YESTERDAY

MEANWHILE, RAIDS WERE CARRIED OUT OF THE NARCOTICS BUREAU IN VARIOUS PARTS OF

(WEDNESDAY).

RAST HOTELS

AGED ON WEDNESDAY

NARCOTICS BUREAU OFFICERS SUBSEQUENTLY ARRESTED FOUR MEN,

IN TWO TSIM SHA TSUI BETWEEN 30 AND 35, EVENING.

IN NGAU TAU

KOK, KOWLOON ARREST OF A

FOLLOW-UP RAIDS WERE ALSO MOUNTED WALLED CITY, HUNG HOM AND WONG TAI SIN RESULTING IN THE 20-YEAR-OLD WOMAN IN A HUNG HOM PREMISES.

IN THE OPERATION BUT CASH AND NO DRUGS WERE FOUND AMOUNTING TO $100,000 WERE SEIZED.

VALUABLES

THE TWO SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN NEW YORK WERE BELIEVED TO BE DISTRIBUTORS OF THE ARIZED HEROIN.

MEMBERS OF TWO A LARGE QUANTITY MARKETS BY CONCEALING

POLICE BELEIVED THE ARRESTED PERSONS WERE KEY INTERNATIONAL SYNDICATES WHICH MIGHT HAVE EXPORTED OF NO 4 HEROIN FROM ASIAN COUNTRIES TO THE US THEM IN MAHJONG TILES AND BUDDHA STATUES.

EXCEPT FOR THE WOMAN WHO WAS RELEASED ON POLICE BAIL OF $500, THE REMAINING PERSONS ARE STILL BEING DETAINED FOR ENQUIRIES.