The wealthy city of 6.9 million has seen a 50 percent year-on-year rise in drug-related arrests involving youths aged between 10 and 15 in the first four months of this year, police statistics show.

Police commissioner Tang King-shing said more than 1,800 people aged under 21 were arrested last year over cases involving drugs, a 70 percent rise on the figure for 2006.

Speaking on government-run radio station RTHK, Tang announced the force would recruit 27 more school liaison officers who will visit schools regularly and try to identify the sources of the problem.

Legislators have also been asked to consider allowing random drug testing of pupils in an effort to weed out the suppliers spreading drugs inside schools.

Party drugs such as ecstasy and ketamine have become increasingly popular among young Hong Kong people in recent years and more easily available with the easing of border controls with neighboring mainland China.

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