ICAC smashes syndicate “staging” drug transactions for police arrests
2000-7-19
The ICAC has arrested a Police Sergeant and seven civilians for their alleged involvement in a number of “staged” arrests of drug traffickers in a two-day operation codenamed "Fastrun", which commenced on Monday.
The operation was the result of an investigation into corruption allegations concerning police officers suspected to have protected drug trafficking for bribes.
One woman arrested was the alleged mastermind of a syndicate which set up drug transactions and tipped off the Police to make arrests. She was also believed to be involved in drug trafficking business.
Inquiries revealed that the purpose of arranging such drug trafficking and subsequent "staged" arrests was to help defendants or convicted criminals claim to be informers providing intelligence on these drug trafficking activities, so that they could miti gate for reduced sentences in courts.
It was alleged that in staging these transactions, the mastermind had paid couriers to pick up drugs at designated places and called the police to intercept the couriers and seize the drugs.
The police sergeant arrested was suspected to have accepted advantages from the syndicate for providing assistance in the arrangements of such “staged” arrests.
The ICAC had deployed an undercover agent to pose as a drug buyer to gather evidence in this case.
During the operation, ICAC investigators recovered one kilogram of “Ice”, worth $400,000 at market price, from a garbage bin at the junction of La Salle Road and Boundary Street in Kowloon.
Two of the eight persons arrested - Wong Cheuk-lam, 27, and Nip Man-yiu, 38 , both unemployed - were charged with drug trafficking offences and appeared at San Po Kong Court this afternoon.
The duo faced three counts of unlawfully trafficking in dangerous drugs, “Ice”, on July 11, 13 and 14 this year, outside San Diego Hotel at Woosung Street, Kowloon, and in a room at the hotel.
Wong further faced one count of unlawfully trafficking the one kilogram of dangerous drugs at the junction of La Salle Road and Boundary Street on July 17, 2000.
No plea was taken today. The defendants were remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department until their next court appearance on August 9, 2000.
The ICAC investigation into the alleged police corruption case is continuing. Apart from the two defendants, the remaining arrestees have been released, pending further inquiries.
The operation was the result of an investigation into corruption allegations concerning police officers suspected to have protected drug trafficking for bribes.
One woman arrested was the alleged mastermind of a syndicate which set up drug transactions and tipped off the Police to make arrests. She was also believed to be involved in drug trafficking business.
Inquiries revealed that the purpose of arranging such drug trafficking and subsequent "staged" arrests was to help defendants or convicted criminals claim to be informers providing intelligence on these drug trafficking activities, so that they could miti gate for reduced sentences in courts.
It was alleged that in staging these transactions, the mastermind had paid couriers to pick up drugs at designated places and called the police to intercept the couriers and seize the drugs.
The police sergeant arrested was suspected to have accepted advantages from the syndicate for providing assistance in the arrangements of such “staged” arrests.
The ICAC had deployed an undercover agent to pose as a drug buyer to gather evidence in this case.
During the operation, ICAC investigators recovered one kilogram of “Ice”, worth $400,000 at market price, from a garbage bin at the junction of La Salle Road and Boundary Street in Kowloon.
Two of the eight persons arrested - Wong Cheuk-lam, 27, and Nip Man-yiu, 38 , both unemployed - were charged with drug trafficking offences and appeared at San Po Kong Court this afternoon.
The duo faced three counts of unlawfully trafficking in dangerous drugs, “Ice”, on July 11, 13 and 14 this year, outside San Diego Hotel at Woosung Street, Kowloon, and in a room at the hotel.
Wong further faced one count of unlawfully trafficking the one kilogram of dangerous drugs at the junction of La Salle Road and Boundary Street on July 17, 2000.
No plea was taken today. The defendants were remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department until their next court appearance on August 9, 2000.
The ICAC investigation into the alleged police corruption case is continuing. Apart from the two defendants, the remaining arrestees have been released, pending further inquiries.