During the operation, the Customs and Excise Department seized 42 kilograms of various chemicals, 4.3 kilograms of ecstasy tablets, 125 grams of heroin, and a large amount of drug-making equipment, with a total street value of approximately US$190,000.
Further investigations conducted on Monday revealed the laboratory was “newly set up” in a 200-square-foot office in Tai Kok Tsui. Officers seized dozens of bags and bottles of chemicals along with drug manufacturing equipment.
“There were around 20 types of chemical substances that could be used to produce as much as 120,000 ecstasy tablets worth US$1.3 million,” said Senior Inspector Tom Cheung Kwong-tat of the Customs Drug Investigation Bureau.
Manufacturing and trafficking dangerous drugs is a serious crime in Hong Kong, carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of up to US$640,000.
The suspect is set to appear in West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts to face charges related to manufacturing, trafficking, and possessing dangerous drugs, as well as illegally producing controlled chemicals.
The dismantled lab was found to store large amounts of highly flammable substances, posing a significant danger to neighboring businesses and the public.