Hong Kong Police announced Thursday that they have helped New Zealand officers crack a transnational drug syndicate, in an operation that saw 95 kilograms of "ice" seized and two Hong Kong people arrested.

The "ice" is worth 650 million Hong Kong dollars (about US$83.87 million), said the Hong Kong Police.

The syndicate has been under investigation since January, and the operation turned overt this week. Officers searched two containers in Auckland of New Zealand and seized the "ice" plus another 150 kilograms of pseudo ephedrine, the main ingredient for manufacturing the drug.

Six guns, an assault rifle and a large amount of cash were also seized at another location. Six men, including two Hong Kong residents, were arrested. They were charged with drug and firearm offenses and appeared in a New Zealand court Thursday.

Several locations in Hong Kong were raided but no arrests were made, said the police.

(Xinhua News Agency May 26, 2006)