GF 323
CONFIDENTIAL
11
機密
The officials who were present at this interview felt that the Master had a well-constructed story and that his eagerness to present, it strongly suggested that it was false.
389
C.I.D. interviews were included in the immigration processing of the refugees before they were taken ashore from the ship. The Master and crew were also interviewed. Police investigations continued after disembarkation and showed that it might be possible to charge the Master and others with conspiracy in addition to offences under the legislation which was approved on 10th January. The investigation revealed that the "Huey Fong" had almost certainly sailed to a pre-arranged rendezvous near a sand bank sixty miles south-east of Vung Tao, having left Bangkok with only one passenger on board. At the rendezvous the ship was led or directed by another vessel to a point fifteen miles from Vung Tao. There a Government vessel met the ship and accompanied it into the Mekong Delta where it anchored one mile off shore. The refugees embarked on 17th and 18th December. The "Hucy Fong" left on the evening of 18th December for the Catwick Islands from where the first radio contact was made with Hong Kong, During their enquiries the Police found about $6.5 million worth of gold, part in the possession of three families on board and part hidden in the ship. The Police obtained evidence that gold had been paid for each person travelling on the ship. Vietnamese officials had retained most of this gold and the rest was paid to representatives of the ship, part in advance in Saigon and part when the passengers boarded. The amount of gold found on board was consistent with this evidence.
39.
On 5th February the Master appeared in court charged with carrying excess passengers. On 12th February two conspiracy charges were laid against the Master, three crew members, two passengers and two Hong Kong residents. The first charge alleged that between November 1978 and February 1979 they conspired together with other people unknown by making false statements and representations to procure the entry into Hong Kong of passengers on board the "Huey Fong" who had no right to land. The second charge alleged that they conspired together to defraud officers of the Hong Kong Government as to the circumstances under which passengers were carried aboard the vessel from Vietnam to Hong Kong. All the accused have been remanded in custody. Information relating to the ship's voyage is therefore sub-judice.
COMMAND AND CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS FOR DEALING WITH THE
40.
HUEY FONG"
Operation "Oliver", which was published on 14th December and which was devised to deal with a major influx of refugees arriving on board a vessel, made provision for the establishment of a Policy Group in the Government Secretariat and for a command post to be set up in the Immigration Department to co-ordinate all operational matters.
CONFIDENTIAL #