E.R.
CONFIDENTIAL
8. It emerged from the discussion that it was wholly unrealistic in any circumstances to contemplate that the Thai Police Officer should board the trawler unaccompanied even ignoring the difficulties of later stages of the operations. At the moment of boarding the most he could effectively accomplish by himself would be an examina- tion of the ships, and possibly of the seamen's, papers under the observation of the RN vessel to establish the breach of the fisheries
licence. It would be physically impracticable for him to search the vessel for contraband alone as well as involving an unacceptable degree of risk. There appeared to be three possibilities for a boarding party:-
(a)
(b)
(c)
a supporting body of Thai Police Officers,
a party of Hong Kong preventive officers, a Royal Naval party.
9. Of these alternatives it seemed likely that the first would be unacceptable to the Thais because of the very substantial risk of a breach of security which would abort the whole operation. There were very considerable attractions to the second alternative. Preventive officers would be trained in searching and would be readily available for such an operation. On the other hand, even here there was a risk of breach of security, albeit smaller than in the case of alternative (a) and for this reason the Thai authorities might oppose it. Alternative (c) was undoubtedly the one for which Thai authorities themselves would press. A naval party under the guidance of a Thai Police officer would be well able to undertake the necessary search.
The risk of a breach of security would be totally excluded and the hazards of the operation would be reduced to a minimum. The next question to explore with MOD, therefore, was whether they would be prepared to support the Police Officer with a naval boarding party and whether the situation would vary according to whether the recep- tion was friendly or hostile.
[
10.
Assuming the operation resulted in a successful discovery of a cargo of drugs the next stage would be the arrangements for disposing of this, the trawler and the crew. In principle the Hong Kong Govern- ment would be unlikely to lay any claim to any of these and the Thai authorities would undoubtedly insist on their return to Thailand.
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CONFIDENTIAL