Narcotics Bureau (NB) has pulled off a joint operation with the Narcotics Control Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, and the National Narcotics Board (BNN) of the Republic of Indonesia against an international drug trafficking syndicate active in Asian countries, resulting in the seizure of HK$800 million worth of methamphetamine ("Ice"). Besides drug investigation, parallel financial investigation into the syndicate was also conducted.
Following a joint investigation lasting almost three years, officers swung into action in Hong Kong and Jakarta on January 5. In Hong Kong, NB arrested five Hong Kong people for money laundering in connection with the syndicate and frozen HK$11.7 million in suspicious bank accounts. Searches of residences and safe deposit boxes further resulted in the seizure of valuables worth HK$5.23 million and HK$1.63 million in cash.
In the operation in Jakarta, 862 kg of "Ice" were seized and nine people were arrested, comprising four Hong Kong men including one of the masterminds, four Indonesian men and a Malaysian man. The seized drugs would have fetched about HK$806 million in the markets of Indonesia. The seizure is the largest ever made by BNN as well as the second largest seizure in Indonesia.
Between January 14 and 17, NB Senior Superintendent (SSP) (Operations) Ko Shun-chi led a working group to call at BNN Headquarters at Jakarta, where he met the Head of BNN, Mr Anang Iskandar, and his senior staff to discuss progress of the case and future co-operation.
On January 15, SSP Ko also attended a joint press conference with BNN, in which he, besides expressing appreciation for the contribution of BNN to the case, pledged that NB would strengthen co-operation with BNN, and join forces with other overseas law enforcement agencies in combating international drug trafficking activities.
