Customs officers on Thursday said they had arrested 22 people and seized drugs worth over HK$160 million in a series of airport operations ahead of the Christmas holidays. Officers said around 370 kilos of drugs were seized from November to mid-December, including ketamine, methamphetamine and space oil. Traffickers made use of festive decorations to hide the drugs before the holiday season, officers added. "During the long holiday season at year-end, drug traffickers usually take the opportunity to smuggle drugs to the local market," said Wong Ngar-shan, a senior investigator with the Customs and Excise Department. "Therefore, Hong Kong Customs has adjusted its enforcement strategies accordingly, successfully intercepting cannabis from North America and Thailand, ketamine from Europe, and methamphetamine from North America from entering the market." Officers also said they seized 18 kilos of etomidate powder shipped from India, which can be used to make around 54,000 space oil-infused capsules. Often inhaled through vapes, space oil usually contains etomidate, a regulated sedative that is prescribed by a doctor. The government wants to add etomidate to the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance by the first quarter of next year.
