No.52 30 JUN1975
RELISTI
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د السيستان
سلة
2076
11]
RECORD OF A MEETING BETWEEN SIR D WATSON AND NARCOTICG OFFICIALS FROM HONG KONG, HELD AT THE FCO ON WEDNESDAY 25 JUNE, AT 11.30 a.m.
Present:-
Sir Duncan Watson
Mr B H Dinwiddy (HKIOD) Mr A L Wotton (HKIOD)
Mr I Lee,
Commissioner of Narcotics Mr J Rumbelow,
Head of Narcotics Bureau Mr JP Law,
Counsellor, Hong Kong Affairs, British Embassy,
Bangkok
Hr G De Deney Home Office
1.
Sir D Watson welcomed the Hong Kong officials and said that on his last visit to Hong Kong about a year ago he had been fully briefed about the progress that Hong Kong was making in tackling, its drug problem. He was glad of this opportunity to bring himself up to date on the current situation.
2. Mr Lee said that the reason for their visit to London vas to attend the third annual tripartite meeting between US, Hong Kong and UK Law Enforcement Agencies to discuss drug trafficking in the Far Est. At the meeting one of the main issues under discussion was the question of the illegal supply of narcotics to Hong Kong by Thai trawler and he had asked to see Sir D Watson to discuss what could be done about this problem.
3. Fir Lee said that the carrying of drugs by trawler had started around 1966 and it was estimated that about 35 to 50 tons of opium and about 7 to 10 tons of morphine reached the Colony every year by trawler it was estimated that about 3 to. 4 trawers a month sailed from Thailand. Due to much improved intelligence this traffic was suddenly halted last November after the seizure of two trawlers off the Vietnam coast. Unfortunately there was now strong evidence that the trawler traffic had re-started. US and Thai officials were becoming very frustrated that nothing could be done under international low to seize these trawlers.
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