CYPHER/CAT A
GPS 200-
FM HONG KONG 260930Z
CONFIDENTIAL
!
CONFIDENTIAL
/1973
HICK 19/0
9/3
TO ROUTINE FCO TELNO 446 OF 26 APRIL INFO BANGKOK SAIGON,
MY TELNO 6 TO SAIGON: NARCOTICS.
YOU WILL HAVE SEEN REPORTS IN THE PRESS OF THE INTERCEPTION, BY A SOUTH VIETNAMESE GUNBOAT OFF THE COAST OF SOUTH VIETNAM ON 19 APRIL, OF A THAI FISHING TRAWLER CARRYING 12,220 POUNDS OF RAW OPIUM AND 281 POUNDS OF MORPHINE BASE, REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN BOUND FOR HONG KONG. ALTHOUGH THE EXISTENCE OF THIS ILLICIT TRAWLER TRAFFIC HAS BEEN WELL KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME, THIS IS THE FIRST CASE WHERE A THAI TRAWLER HAS BEEN CAUGHT RED-HANDED. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE THAIS IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN INCLINED TO EVADE THE TRAWLER SMUGGLING ISSUE WHEN IT HAS BEEN RAISED ON THE GROUNDS THAT NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO PRODUCE DEFINITE PROOF THAT THEIR TRAWLERS ARE BEING USED TO SMUGGLE DRUGS TO HONG KONG. THIS ARGUMENT IS NO LONGER VALID.
2. ACCOUNT WILL NO DOUBT BE TAKEN OF THIS MASSIVE SEIZURE IN CONSIDERING ANY APPROACH TO BE MADE TO THE THAI GOVERNMENT AS A RESULT OF THE TWO REPORTS OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR NARCOTICS WHICH 1 FORWARDED UNDER COVER OF MY LETTERS SCR 4/1316/72 OF 22 JANUARY AND 10 APRIL TO SIR DUNCAN WATSON (NOT TO SAIGON). IT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE LARGEST SINGLE SEIZURES OF OPIATE DRUGS EVER MADE.
FCO PASS COPY TO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
MACLEHOSE
FILES
HKIOD NEWS D
COPIES TO:
HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE
CONFIDENTIAL