Hong Kong police seized 12 kg of cocaine worth about 10.5 million HK dollars (about 1.35 million U. S. dollars) Monday, the police said Wednesday in a press release.

According to the press release, officers of the Narcotics Bureau have closely monitored a transnational drug trafficking syndicate in January, in which the syndicate was actively involved in arranging cocaine from overseas to be shipped to Hong Kong for local distribution.

Acting on intelligence, a consignment of cocaine would be collected from the airport and delivered to a premises in Tsim Sha Tsui of Kowloon Monday. Officers of the bureau mounted a joint operation with the Customs and Excise Department at a premises at Granville Circuit in Tsim Sha Tsui and arrested two men who were unpacking the consignment of cocaine Monday afternoon. Four other men who were suspected to be in connection with the case were also arrested in the vicinity.

With the assistance of the Customs and Excise Department officers, it was identified that the consignment of cocaine was packed inside 20 boxes of cocoa powder, with an estimated total weight of 12 kg and a retail value of about 10.5 million HK dollars. Investigations revealed that the drugs were shipped to Hong Kong from Ecuador via Panama and Amsterdam of Holland.

The six men were arrested for trafficking in dangerous drugs, the press release said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 18, 2009)