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Since Hong Kong is a free port, there are no regularized customs inspections. Also, most goods coming into Hong Kong are in sealed containers. The Preventive Force, as a result, must rely primarily on tips to conduct searches. The searches, however, are only of vessels entering the harbor: not those leaving which could be transmitting narcotics to the United States, the Netherlands, or other points.
A major obstacle, also, is the lack of cooperation from the People's Republic of China. Many of the drops are made in Chinese waters because the Chinese do not police their coasts for narcotics. We were told that a Chinese vessel will ignore a trawler smuggling narcotics. Moreover, since the British in Hong Kong are naturally extremely sensitive to their relations with the People's Republic, they carefully observe territorial waters and are careful to avoid appearances that a crackdown on traflickers is a vendetta against Chinese.
Another serious obstacle is the attitude of the Chinese who live in Hong Kong. Opium was legal for so long that the use of it or heroin is still not viewed by many as being immoral. And, as long as there is a large market for opiates in Hong Kong together with its strategic location, financial resources, and supply of trained chemists. it will continue to be the only logical embarkation point in Southeast Asia. The British in Hong Kong are also reluctant to recognize the se- verity of the problem evidenced by the increased availability of nar- cotics, and to, correspondingly, take action. For instance, most officials we spoke with were "uptight" about the recent report of the House Foreign Affairs Committee which concluded that the Hong Kong Gov- ernment has been lax. They also resented the fact that no one had talked to them before filing the report.
Even when they admit the seriousness of current trafficking opera- tions, they place the blame on London. And, it is correct that without a strong commitment from London, dramatic improvement in the situation in Hong Kong cannot be expected.
Tom Garner, Director of the Prison Treatment Program stated to us: "I am cynical about law enforcement in the Colony. The appoint-- ment of a commissioner doesn't solve anything. I wonder whether we really have made an honest effort to root out the problem." IIe went on to point out that last May he found drugs concealed in the rectums of 40 defendants referred to him by the courts in one week, after they had been checked by the police.
The U.S. Mission
Although our consulate is genuinely concerned about narcotics traf- ficking, they seem somewhat reluctant to pressure the British, feeling that since they are only a consulate, pressure should instead be applied in London. The reluctance of our consulate is also due to the British attitude that they require no outside assistance. They did, however, request $190.000 for training consulate personnel in narcotics matters. but never received a response.
There is only one BNDD agent stationed in Hong Kong. He has been hampered by the fact that Hong Kong is in the Far East region and not the Southeast Asia region. Since all of the opium coming into Hong Kong comes from Southeast Asia, it would seem logical that Hong Kong be put in the same region.
BNDD in Hong Kong has also been hampered by a British restric- tion that they not have their own informers.
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