LAIORITY
CYPHER/CAT A
GPS 300
FM HONG KONG 050156Z
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY No.51
S JUN 1974
14/5
HKK 37333
1974
25
TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 603 OF 5 JUNE/INFO PRIORITY SAIGON ROUTINE
PEKING.
LAST
RET
NEXT
REF.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM SOUTH VIETNAM. 26 27
AT ABOUT 2300 HOURS ON 2 JUNE A LOCALLY REGISTERED FISHING JUNK WAS INTERCEPTED IN COLONY WATERS OFF CHEUNG CHAU AND WAS FOUND TO HAVE ON BOARD 119 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (96 MEN, 17 WOMEN, 6 CHILDREN) ALL OF CHINESE DESCENT FROM SOUTH VIETNAM. THEY WERE SUBSEQUENTLY DETAINED. THE VAST MAJORITY WERE MALES WITHIN THE VIETNAMESE CONSCRIPTION AGE GROUP, WHO GAVE THEIR REASONS FOR COMING TO HONG KONG AS AVOIDANCE OF MILITARY DRAFTING. THE CREW ESCAPED
BUT ONE HAS SINCE BEEN ARRESTED.
2. INFORMATION SUBSEQUENTLY OBTAINED INDICATES THAT THIS WAS A WELL
ORGANISED ESCAPE BY A LOCAL SYNDICATE FOR A FEE OF HONG KONG
DOLLARS 720,000. THEY WERE ALL APPARENTLY RESIDENTS OF LUNG HOT
DISTRICT WHO ASSEMBLED NEAR BIEN HOA AIR BASE AND WERE LATER TAKEN
TO THE COAST AT LONG HUT ON 20 MAY, FROM THERE, THEY WERE FERRIED
DY A LOCAL FISHING CRAFT TO A COASTING VESSEL WAITING WELL OFF-SHORE.
3. THE COASTER ARRIVED OFF HONG KONG ON THE AFTERNOON OF 2 JUNE
WHERE, BY PRE-ARRANGEMENT, PASSENGERS WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE INTERCEPTED. JUNK, APPARENTLY SOUTH OF THE LEMA ISLANDS IN CHINESE TERRITORIAL WATERS, THE FREIGHTER, SINCE IDENTIFIED AS QUOTE GRAND ! UNQUOTE, APPROXIMATELY 1,000 TONS FLYING A PAMAMIAN FLAG, WAS LATER DETECTED IN HONG KONG HARBOUR AND IS BEING KEPT UNDER
GUARD. INVESTIGATIONG ARE PROCEEDING, AN ACCOUNT OF THE
INTERCEPTION HAS APPEARED IN THE PRESS,
4. DEPENDING ON THE OUTCOME OF THESE, WE ARE CONSIDERING ASKING
THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE CONSUL-GENERAL FOR ASSISTANCE IN REPATRIATING
THE WHOLE GROUP. DO YOU OR SAIGON HAVE ANY VIEWST
MACLENOSE
FILES:
FIKIOD
LEAD
FED
M & V D
NEWS D
DEQAD ADVISERS MR. MALE
CONFIDENTIAL