SECRET/ECLIPSE
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1
Telephone 01-
P Parrish Esq
Room 8577
DB 5
Ministry of Defence
Main Building
Your reference
Our reference
HKK 19/3
Date
9 November 1973
Fo
175
NARCOTICS:
INTERCEPTION OF THAI TRAWLERS ON THE HIGH SEAS
1.
In June this year officials from the US, UK and Hong Kong met to discuss drug trafficking in the Far East, with particular reference to Hong Kong. One of the topics talked about at the meeting was the possible interception of trawlers carrying drugs from Thailand to Hong Kong. I should perhaps outline briefly the background to this subject.
2. As you will no doubt know a large percentage of the illicit drugs that reach Hong Kong originate from the Golden Triangle, an area formed by the borders of Burma, Thailand and Laos. Drugs from this region are shipped from Thailand to Hong Kong aboard Thai fishing trawlers and it is currently estimated that there are anything up to 50 trips a year. It is thought that 100 to 150 tons of raw opium plus morphine base and other narcotics are transported to Hong Kong by this method annually. The trawlers usually rendezvous with Hong Kong junks and small trawlers south of the Lema Islands where the cargo is trans-shipped. Once the cargo is off-loaded it is virtually impossible to intercept it in Hong Kong waters because of the enormous number of small craft in that area.
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At the meeting in June the Americans said the Thais had indicated to them, unofficially, that they would raise no objec- tion to foreign warships stopping and searching their trawlers on the high seas if they appeared to be heading for Hong Kong. was however realised that such a procedure would be unlawful; and that the Royal Navy, for example, would not be able even to contemplate action unless a formula was found by which action could be taken legally.
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A proposal that was made that the Royal Navy should patrol- the approaches to Hong Kong, south of the Lema Islands, that is about 30 100 miles from Hong Kong, and to generally harass the trawlers to such an extent that they would either dump their cargoes of drugs or return to Thailand. The consensus of opinion at the meeting was that this suggestion warranted further examination.
15.