WELLINGTON: A coordinated regional crackdown on the scourge of crystal meth – in which China and Hong Kong play a key role – could be starting to bite after New Zealand yesterday said it had seized a massive HK$1.2 billion worth of the powerful stimulant drug in the first six months of this year.
The haul of methamphetamine is almost double that seized in the whole of 2014 – and is thanks in significant part to the joint efforts of Hong Kong customs and police.
Since last year, they have stepped up cooperation with New Zealand in a bid to stem the flow of the drug which is manufactured in huge amounts in Guangdong province.
The mainland’s high-profile anti-drug campaign and President Xi Jinping’s determination to crack down on drug-related crime – made clear in public statements last month – has also seen dozens of so-called “drug labs” closed and scores of people arrested.
The New Zealand authorities said methamphetamine valued at NZ$246 million (HK$1.26 billion) was stopped from reaching the country the first half of this year.
A Hong Kong customs source described the drug trade to Oceania as “very lucrative” because the street price of methamphetamine can jump ten-fold once the drug arrives in New Zealand or Australia.
Customs chiefs from Auckland visited Hong Kong earlier this year and met with Hong Kong narcotics agents to discuss stepped up intelligence and enforcement action.
The moves came after seizures of the drug – and the precursor chemicals required to make it – reached record levels reached last summer.
“It’s not uncommon for customs to intercept several kilograms of methamphetamine or precursors in each seizure, sometimes on a daily basis,” said Shane Panettiere, a New Zealand customs manager in charge of border operations.
Most of these so-called “high-frequency, low quantity” drugs were seized through mail or air cargo, suggesting they were bought online through illegal websites such as Silk Road, according to New Zealand customs officials.
Last year, both Hong Kong’s security chief and former customs commissioner Clement Cheung Wan-ching made separate trips to Australia and New Zealand amid growing concern in the two countries about the role of southern China in the production and supply of crystal meth.
Local officials have repeatedly denied that Hong Kong has become a transit point for drug smugglers.
Hong Kong officials said a record number of drugs busts at the airport last year was due to “enhanced enforcement and intelligence” – and not increased trafficking activity.
Shenzhen authorities seized 4.2 tonnes of narcotics in November and arrested 5,000 people, a number of whom were involved in drug trafficking to Australia via Hong Kong.
