HONG KONG STANDARD
OCT: 1ST '73
`Drug boats have an easy
time, HK officials feel
THAIS LAG
IN WAR
ON DRUGS
THE believed dissatisfied
Government- is
to be highly with
the lame efforts of the Thai authorities to curb the flow of dangerous drugs into the Colony.
Informed sources have told the Standard that the Thai narcotics fighters are preventing "only one or two" drug boats from leaving the country "when they could easily stop five times that amount."
A government source said the Thais appeared to have a complacent attitude Towards the smuggling of narcotics into the Colony.
The source said: "The Thais could do a lot more and they could have done a lot 'more. They are doing a certain amount now, however, a lot more than they have ever done before. But the gul goalong
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NIKA/
way to go."
The source said: "First of all, you cannot tell another country how it to run its show because how would we feel if some Thai gentlemen came up here and started telling us everything. We'd get pretty upset.
"Now," the source added, “if at the same time the implication is that there's a good deal of corruption mixed up in this, we'd be even less · happy to hear all this going on.
"So, when you start putting pressure on govemments, this is done through diplomatic channels and in a diplomatic manner.'"
CO-OPERATION
The narcotics problem will be taken up by a top-level police team which will attend the 42nd General Assembly of Interpol on internationa. crime which will begin tomorrow in Vienna. The Hongkong team is part of a 10-member delegation from Britain.
The Hongkong participants, who will join representatives from about 100 countries, include Mr Norman Rolph, Commissioner for Narcotics; Mr B.F. Slevin, Deputy Commissioner of Police; and Mr J.B. Lees, Directors of Criminal Investigation.
Sources have indiented to the Standard that
Honkong may ask for greater ken; operation
other countries "On `its * en unntat narcotics problem.
Mr Rolph told the Standard: "We will devise ways in which international co-operation between Hongkong and other countries can be improved and we will make contact to better achieve this."
He considered the seven-day annual general assembly to be of particular importance because it will help to better stamp out drug trafficking."
He added: "The meeting is also significant as one can do a great deal more by personal contact."
Mr Rolph, who has attended two such Interpol sessions in his role as Commissioner, said that past meetings appear to have resulted in a great improvement" in the illegal trafficking situation during the last 12 months in Hongkong. "There is a short supply of drugs today," he said, "and this is also due to efforts overseas as well as at home.”
ACTION
He added: "We hope that law enforcement agencies will i take action to suppress the drug traffic once we secure the co-operation of other countries. Our problem lies in the fact that our drugs are imported and, therefore we are dependent on the success of this outside co-operation."
CID chief Mr. Lees also told the Standard that one of the ways in which overseas authorities can help Hongkong is the interdiction of the growing and export of hard drugs from Golden Triangle.
He said: "I am quite sure the Thai officials are fully aware of the intemational concern quite apart from the Hongkong in regard to the movement of drugs through Thailand.
concem
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"We shall discuss with the Thais what is being done and what can be done. The Thais should know their problem; we know the problem. However, that's not for us to tell them; it's for them to tell us."
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Mr Lees added: "I think Thailand is fully aware of the problems they have in their country. We would very much like to hear what's going on, what they're doing and what their plans are."