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CONFIDENTIAL
R 425
CONFIDENTIAL
CES BY FCO 091223Z
BY HONG KONG 081150Z FEB 79
HKK 243/1
No
Jalz
334
ཐར
TO PREDIATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
FELNO.235 OF 8 FEBRUARY,
INFO PRIORITY: UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON, MANILA, HONG KONG
GOVT OFFICE LONDON,
1.FO SAVING : HANOI.
YOUR TELNO.121 (NOTAL): VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT 1 THE REFUGEE TRAFFIC.
THE FOLLOWING PICTURE HAS EMERGED FROM INTERVIEWING THE CREW AND PASSENGERS OF THE HUEY FONG'.
(1) AT THE REQUEST OF VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS THE 'HUEY FONG'
PROCEEDED FROM A PREVIOUSLY ARRANGED RENDEZVOUS POINT TO A POSITION
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E OF VUNG TAU AT 12 DEGS 9.5 NORTH AND 107 DEGS 15.5 EAST, PEACHING THERE AT 1780 ON 14 DECEMBER. IT THEN ANCHORED.
LATER A NUMBER OF ARMED VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS CAME ABOARD INCLUDING A PILOT. FOLLOWING AN ARGUMENT AS TO HOW CLOSE INSHORE THE VESSEL
OULD COME, IT WAS PILOTED TO A FINAL POSITION ABOUT ONE MILE NEST OF VUNG TAU AT 13 DEGS 20.1 NORTH, 137 DEGS 0.04 EAST REACHING THERE AT 2000 ON 14 DECEMBER. THE VESSEL REMAINED IN THIS POSITION FOR SEVERAL DAYS DURING WHICH TIME THE PASSENGERS WERE BOARDED IN SIGHT OF NEARBY VIETNAMESE PATROL CRAFT.
(11) THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT GOLD WAS PAID IN TWO SEPARATE WOUNTS BY VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE VESSEL.
NE AMOUNT OF 1530 TAELS OF GOLD WAS PAID IN ADVANCE IN HO CHI MINH CITY AND A FURTHER 2,643 TAELS WAS HANDED OVER ON THE VESSEL WHEN THE LAST OF THE PASSENGERS HAD BOARDED. ALL OF THIS GOLD HAS BEEN RECOVERED FROM THE VESSEL. IT HAD BEEN CONCEALED IN A DISUSED FUEL TANK UNDERNEATH A PROPELLOR SHAFT.
CONFIDENTIAL
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