Hong Kong customs officers arrested a former bank manager last night in a major drug bust that saw the seizure of up to US$1.4 million worth of cocaine.
The 32-year-old suspect was nabbed by officers on To Kwa Wan Road at 8:30pm last night, after police allegedly found 650 grams of suspected crack cocaine inside the rucksack he was carrying.
Customs officers then escorted him to a residential unit at the Grand Waterfront — a private housing estate at the intersection between To Kwa Wan Road and San Ma Tau Street — where they found 2.55 kilograms of suspected crack cocaine, 4.8 kilograms of suspected cocaine, and other items used to pack drugs.
According to Ming Pao, some of the cocaine had even been hidden inside cans of baby milk formula.
According to a statement by Hong Kong Customs released this afternoon, the suspected cocaine and crack cocaine had a total estimated market value of about HK$11 million.
Apple Daily reports that the suspect was recently made redundant from his job as a bank manager after a debt collector went to his office to demand payment.
He was dismissed from his job after the incident, and is suspected to have been forced into drug trafficking work in order to pay off his debts.
Assistant Superintendent Ip Kwok-leung, the commander of customs’ drug investigations, told reporters at a press briefing last night that authorities believe the drugs were going to be supplied to bars and clubs in the West Kowloon area ahead of Chinese New Year.
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