Hong Kong and Shenzhen Customs have smashed a Colombia-based cocaine trafficking syndicate with the information provided by their U.S. counterpart, according to Hong Kong Customs Tuesday.

During a press conference held together by Hong Kong and Shenzhen Customs, the official in charge of the operation in Hong Kong said a total of 142 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated market value of 105 million HK dollars, was caught, among which 141 kilograms in Chinese Mainland and 1 kilogram in Hong Kong.

Nine persons were arrested, including three Colombians, one Venezuelan, three Mainlanders and two Hong Kong people.

At a ceremony hosted by Hong Kong Customs, the Secretary for Security, Ambrose S K Lee, spoke highly of the incessant effort of law enforcement officers in making such an encouraging achievement.

Lee said, "this spirit of co-operation is well demonstrated by Hong Kong Customs, Shenzhen Customs and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) through their close collaboration in exchanging intelligence and taking enforcement actions."

Officials from Hong Kong Customs said according to information provided by U.S. counterparts that a huge amount of cocaine had been delivered to the southern part of Chinese mainland and the members of the drug trafficking syndicate would seek buyers in Hong Kong.

Then the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong Customs began to track down targeted person both in Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.

It was found the drug was first transported to Zhuhai from Colombia and then stored in a warehouse in Zhongshan, a city in Guangdong Province, near Hong Kong.

Following extensive analysis, Hong Kong Customs officers tracked down a targeted person in Hong Kong and put him under close surveillance.

When the targeted person departed for Shenzhen via Lo Wu Control Point in late January. Hong Kong Customs officers immediately contacted Shenzhen Customs requesting them to keep a close eye on the target across the boundary.

Then undercover Hong Kong Customs officers obtained one kilogram of cocaine as sample from the syndicate at a place in Kowloon in mid-March.

On March 15, Shenzhen Customs notified Hong Kong counterpart that they had arrested two Hong Kong people and a mainlander in an operation, seized some dangerous drugs and obtained information of the drugs storage center. Hong Kong Customs then tightened the surveillance.

On the afternoon of March 16, Hong Kong Customs mounted a corresponding operation, arresting two Colombians, who were syndicate members, at two locations in Hong Kong. They were aged 32 and 27.

The official from Hong Kong Customs said the case still need further investigation. But according to the law of Hong Kong, drug trafficking is a serious offence with maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of 5 million HK dollars.

Source: Xinhua