Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Over 8O held in drugs and gambling busts

Over 8O held in drugs and gambling busts

Over 80 people have been arrested in a four-day anti-crime operation that busted four suspected gambling dens and one brothel and saw HK$100,000 worth of drugs seized as well as 84 Covid restriction defiers fined a total of HK$420,000.
Officers of the organized crime and triad bureau and their counterparts from Hong Kong Island, West Kowloon, New Territories North as well as the tactical unit carried out the anti-crime operation across the SAR from Wednesday to Saturday.

The more than 80 arrested in the operation, code-named "pinetower," were aged 19 to 75.

They included 54 local men and 17 local women, as well as four men and three women from the mainland. The remaining were five non-Chinese men from Pakistan, the Philippines, India and Palestine.

They were arrested for claiming to be members of a triad, criminal intimidation, criminal damage, wounding, conspiracy to wound with intent and fighting in public.

Some of them were also arrested for misleading and resisting the police, theft, defrauding, possession of fake documents and money laundering.

During the operation, officers seized 14 gambling machines, two baccarat tables, card readers and approximately HK$160,000 worth of chips.

They also found around 32 grams of the suspected drug ice, 88 grams of suspected cocaine and a small amount of marijuana.

Those involved had suspected possession and trafficking of dangerous drugs, as well as managing prostitution and gambling dens, added to their charges.

They were also found to have violated Covid regulations and the four-person social gathering cap during operations on premises.

As of yesterday, 78 were released on bail pending further investigations, while two were detained.

Officers also inspected 297 entertainment establishments, including mahjong parlors, bars, nightclubs, gaming centers and saunas, where 84 people violated the gathering cap, compulsory masking and vaccine pass requirements.

On July 28 and 29, police also launched operation "Levington" in Mong Kok and arrested nine people.

In the operation, officers raided a hotel room on Reclamation Street and seized about 14 grams of suspected cocaine and two grams of suspected ketamine with a total market value of about HK$24,000.

Those arrested were held for illegal gambling, while a 36-year-old man, Yuen, was arrested for operating an illegal gambling den.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×