CR 500
IMMEDIATE
SECTET
CYPHER/CAT A
FM HONG KONG Ø6283ØZ
dudamper
Sep
SEC
TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELNO 903 OF 6 SEPTEMBER
AND TO IMMEDIATE BANGKOK (FOR P.A., COUNSELLOR FOR HONG KONG AFFAIRS)
FOR DE DENEY, HOME OFFICE.
THE RITA NIGHTINGALE CASE REFERS.
2. RECENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN VARIOUS HONG KONG GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND F.C.O. AND BANGKOK CONCERNING THE RITA NIGHTINGALE CASE IN BANGKOK. THERE APPEARS TO BE MUCH CONFUSION AS TO WHETHER REQUESTS FOR THE EXTRADITION OF YIP AND CHAN FROM HONG KONG TO THAILAND HAVE IN FACT BEEN MADE. IT IS THEREFORE ESSENTIAL TO CLARIFY OUR POSITION.
3. THE ARREST OF RITA NIGHTINGALE CAME ABOUT AS A RESULT OF THE HONG KONG CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE (PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS THE PREVENTIVE SERVICE) NOTIFYING THEIR BANGKOK COUNTERPARTS OF HER DEPARTURE FOR BANGKOK ACCOMPANIED BY CHAN MING-FAI DUE TO THEIR
ACTIONS AND THEIR MEETING WITH SUSPECTED TRAFFICKERS AT KAI TAK AIRPORT. SHE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ARRESTED WHEN LEAVING BANGKOK WITH DANGEROUS DRUGS. CHAN WAS ALSO ARRESTED AS WAS YIP KA-KEUNG.
4. THE HONG KONG NARCOTICS BUREAU WERE INFORMED THAT THE TWO CHINESE MALES WERE RELEASED AFTER 30 DAYS IN CUSTODY OF BANGKOK AUTHORITIES BECAUSE OF LACK OF EVIDENCE TO IMPLICATE THEM IN THE CASE. THE BUREAU FIRST CAME TO KNOW OF THIS CASE ON 23.3.76 WHEN IDENTIFICATION OF ARRESTEES WAS REQUESTED BY CHKA, BANGKOK. INFORMATION RELATING TO THE IDENTIFCATION OF CHAN AND YIP WAS PASSED TO BANGKOK ON 8.6.77, ALONG WITH THEIR CRIMINAL RECORDS.
5. THE BUREAU WAS ALSO ASKED TO IDENTIFY A CHINESE MALE KNOWN AS LEWIS, NAMED BY NIGHTINGALE AS BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR HER JOURNEY. HE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED RECENTLY AS LOUIS CHEUNG CHUNG-YIN
(1728-7313-6343), ALIAS FEI CHAI YIN (7378-2098-6343) AND CHUN
SECRET
/SAU-CHAI