Man arrested in Hong Kong after police seized HK$800,000 of suspected heroin

Hong Kong police have arrested a 44-year-old man for allegedly trafficking more than HK$800,000 (US$102,110) of suspected heroin.The force said on Friday that officers from the Tuen Mun District Anti-Triad Unit were conducting an operation at around 9.50am the day before, when they found a man acting suspiciously outside a flat on Yan Po Road.After stopping the man for questioning, officers found around 300g (10.6oz) of suspected heroin in a reusable bag he was carrying. They also found an additional kilogram of heroin inside the flat.The total market value of the drugs seized during the operation was around HK$805,000, the force said.After a preliminary investigation, police arrested the 44-year-old Hongkonger, surnamed Chan, on suspicion of trafficking in dangerous drugs – an offence punishable by up to life in prison and a HK$5 million fine.The man is currently being detained for investigation.According to official statistics, serious drug offence cases climbed to 1,281 last year, up from 1,114 in 2024. The number of people arrested for drug offences also rose 27 per cent from 3,243 to 4,108 over the same period.Meanwhile, the number of youngsters under the age of 21 arrested for such offences surged by 90 per cent from 301 to 573.Citing court cases that concluded in 2025, the Action Committee Against Narcotics said the conviction rate of people prosecuted for drug offences was as high as 86 per cent.Heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine were the three most common types of drugs abused in Hong Kong last year, according to Central Registry of Drug Abuse figures.Earlier this week, the force arrested 120 people, including 14 minors, in a month-long operation targeting multiple online sales of illegal narcotics and related products.Further ReadingAbout 53.7kg (118lbs) of dangerous drugs and Part 1 poisons were seized as part of the operation, with a market value of HK$26 million.