Raids hit Triads
Police in China’s Special Administrative Region (SAR) of Hong Kong struck a major blow against organized crime after a bust on three illegal gambling premises in Yuen Long led to 122 arrests.
core members of triad gangs.”
The Hong Kong Police Force announced the arrests on Thursday, stating that of the people arrested between the ages of 14 to 67, some were “core members of triad gangs.”
HK Police took to X to publicize the April 10 busts that came on the back of a fortnight of fieldwork into illegal bars, gambling dens, and drug trafficking in the northern Hong Kong town:
Police made the arrests for multiple offenses including operating illegal gambling dens, gambling in said properties, money laundering, and drug manufacturing.
Authorities seized gambling paraphernalia and alcohol worth over HK$500,000 ($64,468) while also shuttering a vape-administered ‘space oil’ designer drug manufacturing facility.
Space, a new frontier
Following the busts, a HK Police spokesperson stated the illegal establishments operated under extreme caution to avoid police detection.
According to reports, the premises stormed by the HK police were “heavily monitored with multiple CCTV cameras” with entry restricted to regular patrons or by those given the nod by trusted sources.
HK Police highlighted the use of “soundproofing materials, making it difficult for nearby residents to notice suspicious activity.”
Aside from the significant gambling-related wins for Hong Kong law enforcement, police drew special attention to a designer drug it said the Chinese SAR government had officially named ‘space oil.’
The HK Police stated users commonly:
inhaled space oil via e-cigarettes, causing “transient euphoria.”
According to the Hong Kong Free Press, police arrested one girl and two male teens for allegedly manufacturing the drug.
HK Police Chief Inspector Dylan Tai stated authorities found “450 grams of etomidate”, the ingredient that gives space oil users lift off.
Space cadets
Chief Tai stated Thursday that Hong Kong authorities saw a serious increase in space oil abuse in 2024, with arrests rising from eight the previous year to 278 in 2024. Of those arrested, the majority were 21 or younger.
During the raids, HK Police seized 712 space oil capsules plus manufacturing materials Tai said could “produce 2,200 space oil capsules” worth HK$1m ($128,957) on the market.
use as a recreational drug continues to escalate
The SAR government classified etomidate as a dangerous drug in February as its use as a recreational drug continues to escalate.
