7
Couriers using the air routes became more ingenious in devising new ways of concealing their consignments. Besides using the old methods of taping drugs to the body or hiding them in suitcases with false bottoms, they concealed drugs inside hollow pumpkins, chairs and baby powder tins. (See illustrns p. 59 and 60.)
Change in the types of drugs carried by couriers
on
8 During the first few months of the year, morphine appeared to be the most common type of drug carried by individual couriers through the airport into Hong Kong. The remainder of the year saw a marked switch to heroin and dehydrated, prepared opium, probably because these drugs do not require further refining in Hong Kong and the risk of detection at the processing stage is thereby removed. In addition, an acute shortage of acetic anhydride (a chemical essential to the manufacture of heroin) in July and August seriously disrupted the local heroin manufacturing operations. As a result, the finished product- number 3 heroin-had to be imported from Thailand.
9 Although clandestine heroin manufacture in Hong Kong is known to have resumed to a limited extent, it appears that traffickers will continue to import Thai heroin in significant quantities in future for two reasons. Firstly, they have already established contacts in Thailand and, secondly, the risk of detection at the refining stage is avoided.
Illicit import of acetic anhydride
10 Although a few cases of acetic anhydride manufacture have been detected, it is believed that most is smuggled into Hong Kong from Japan and Taiwan, though its source could well be Europe. Hong Kong, which has few licit uses for this chemical, placed it and other acetylating substances under strict legislative control in 1975. Under the new law, the maximum penalty for trafficking in such substances is 15 years imprisonment and a fine of $1 million.
11 At Hong Kong's instigation, a recommendation has been made to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs that governments in the region should be urged to enact suitable legislation to control acetylating substances.
Chapter 7
Clandestine Manufacture of Heroin
During 1976 the Police and the Preventive Service uncovered 11 heroin factories, compared with 8 in 1975 and 7 in 1974. In several cases heroin manufacture was actually taking place at the time of the raid. (See illustration on p. 61.) Some of the factories were located in small farms in the New Territories and others were housed in residential flats in urban areas. In addition, the law enforcement officers rounded up a total of 23 heroin chemists and their assistants during the year.
"Suitcase factories"
2 Prior to 1975, heroin factories in Hong Kong were usually operated on a very large scale at fixed locations. Since then, there has been a growing switch to what can be called "suitcase factories". These factories are geared to facilitate small manufacturing operations of heroin on a highly mobile basis. Their equip- ment is designed in such a way that it can be packed up quickly, after being used in one or two manufacturing operations, and moved to another location. This new development is mainly aimed at avoiding detection, and to minimize losses if this eventuality occurs.
3
During the year, local heroin manufacturers showed a tendency even greater than in 1975 to follow this pattern of mobile, small-scale operations. The amount of heroin produced during an operation seldom exceeded one or two batches, each about eight kilogrammes. Inevitably, this method has increased the overheads of heroin production, thus contributing to rising prices on the illicit market during the year. (Details of drug prices are given in Chapter 8).
A hard time for heroin manufacturers
4
The increased need for security measures against detection was not the only problem created by law enforcement officers for local heroin manufacturers. The latter also had a problem to recruit experienced and skilled heroin chemists as many of them have either been arrested or have fled from Hong Kong over the past two years. People who used to work as apprentices to these chemists have now moved up to fill the vacuum. However, being less skilled than their masters, they tend to produce heroin of a quality which seasoned addicts do not find attractive.
5 In addition to the dearth of chemists, heroin manufacturers also found it increasingly difficult to obtain adequate supplies of acetic anhydride during 1976; the shortage of this chemical being so serious in July and August that local heroin production was severely curtailed.
18
19
Page 15Page 16