SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
OCT 2015 73.
RN ships may join in HK's anti-drug war
By KEVIN SINCLAIR
Royal Navy warships may be used in a bold, How offensive
· runners
appeared to be approaching the Colony.
* Interception; Flicy would be able to stop, in international wafers, Bny Honkong or British registered ship which
come under suspicion. against
¦ international drug who Hood Hongkong with narcos tics.
The Hongkong Government is known to I have been in contact with Whitchall about the possibility of using naval craft to help combat drug : smuggling into the Colony
from Thailand.
The results of the discussiong are top secret.
But, it was known last nicht, the proposals are for a spinli fleet - probably of friestes nud destrovers to be stationed in Hongkong and to patrol the high sens south of the Colony.
They would have two foleg to play:
Surveillance: They would patrol between 30 and 100 miles south of Hongkong waters and would report any Thai lishing trawlers which |
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These muves would make life
very diffienit for the international drug dealers.
Mest
consignments which reach the Colony come from Thailand on board Thai fishing trawlers,
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Although the Thai Government licenses most of its large fishing fleet and restricts trawler movements to the Gulf ̧ of Siam, many trawlers Pic known to be actively engaged in smuggling, opium or morphine.
They meet. by previous arrangement, ก Bongkong connection between 30 and 100 miles sunth of the Colony,
A rendezvous ja kept with a Hongkong fishing junk and an exchange of drugs and money is made.
The plan is to use Navy ships to shndow the Ihni tinwlers by rador, keeping out of sight over the horizon then to poune“ when the ding shipment has been put on board a Hongkong registered junk
It is known that Government legal experts have studied this and other propants.
The proposals are believed in be under discussion in Whitehall, at the Foreign and Commonwealth Ministry and the Ministry of Defence.
Asked for details yesterday about the plan to chase drug smugglers off the South Chinn Sen. A Joint Services spokesman said: "Anything which relates to the high sens rather than territorial waters has to be reused between the Hongkong Government and the Ministry of Defence,"
One of the major problems standing in the way of the proposal is a legal one: Any attempt to stop a ship on the high seas unless it is made by a warship of its own flag - is regarded under international law as piracy.
This means the Royal Navy would only have jurisdiction over British and Hongkong registered vessels. However, most of the drug smuggling craft nje Hongkong junka,
Within Hongkong waters, of course, Navy, police, marine and preventive services bonts can stops any craft, regardless of the Ang it carries,
It is known that the naval proposals were discussed carlier this year when Hongkong. Mitali and the United States had a top level conference by Hongkong on measures in light ຝ່າຍຕາ.
The use of U.S. naval and air force ships and aircraft As surveillance units was discussed then, but it is believed no definite commitment was made by the Americans.
During the war in Vietnam, American aircraft were sometimes used on high Nying reconnaissance to spot Thai trawlers moving north along the Vietnamese const towards Hongkong.
But with, the cut-back in American air power in Enst Asin, this is now a thing of the past.
On economic grounds. sources point out, it would he "hellishly expensive" to USC aircraft to spot the odd Thai trawler which may be several hundred miles from home.
Another angle which may soon be used in the anti- smuggling drive is #1 requirement for ships' musters to inform Hongkong by radio if they spot a Thni trawler out of its usual fishing grounds.
waters
or
Then, Naval units police, within the Colony's would be able to intercept any junks coming from the suspect aten.
The main Hongkong- Singapore sen route runs along the route taken by the smugglers,
Action by the Royal Navy in international waters, to set right a moral wrong, has a historic precedent.
After Britain abolished the slave trade, in 1833, RN ships patrolled the Atlantic, particularly along the West African const, to intercept "blackbirders," ships running Pu "Middle Passnge" with their cargoes of "black gold,”