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concealment within air cargo arriving from Thailand, and bulk shipments by scheduled shipping also accounted for some of the imported heroin base. The seizure by Chinese Authorities of 6.7 kilograms of heroin base in Guangzhou in February with the arrest of three Hong Kong and two Thai citizens raised the spectre of China becoming a transit route for heroin base and the situation is being monitored. 33. China, however, has apparently become a significant transit centre for opium destined for Hong Kong as indicated by general intelligence and as reflected in the seizure in July 1985 by Police of 27 kilograms of opium known to have been obtained from Guangdung.
34. The main source of herbal cannabis for consumption in Hong Kong was the Philippines. The use of air couriers was common and four seizures amounting to 4.7 kilograms were made by Customs at Kai Tak International Airport from passengers arriving from the Philippines, and one at the Hong Kong border crossing from China of 2 kilograms from a courier who had flown from Manila to Guangdung. Concealment within containerized cargo was also detected. On December Customs officers seized 126 kilograms of herbal cannabis which arrived in Hong Kong from the Philippines concealed inside electronic games machines which had been shipped through the Kwai Chung Container Terminal. 35. The principal source of cannabis resin was Nepal. Three cases were detected involving 5.1 kilgorams of resin seized from couriers arriving at Kai Tak Airport. Two cases confirmed the importation of poor quality herbal and resinous cannabis from China through Macau in April 1985.
Thai Trawler Traffic
36. The Thai trawler traffic continued to be the most prolific method of importation of dangerous drugs into Hong Kong. Heroin base, normally manufactured from opium in the region of the Golden Triangle, was transported to the southern coast of Thailand and concealed aboard Thai trawlers in quantities ranging from 100 to 300 kilograms. The Thai trawlers then sail to international waters near Hong Kong to rendezvous with a local fishing vessel, which conveys the consignment into Hong Kong waters after transhipment. During 1985 one such consignment was intercepted by Customs officers as it was being landed at public pier in Kennedy Town and 100 kilograms of heroin base was seized.
By Air 37.
The use of air couriers to smuggle dangerous drugs continued. The use of circuitous routes to disguise the origin of consignments was also apparent for opiate drugs. There was also evidence that Hong Kong citizens were involved in smuggling opiate drugs by air from Thailand to Europe, North America and Australia.
Ocean Going Vessels
38. Legislation introduced in 1983 to penalize the owners and masters of vessels used on two or more occasions within a period of 18 months to smuggle significant quantities of dangerous drugs has been effective in substantially reducing this method of importation.
ILLICIT RE-EXPORT
39. Hong Kong is principally a consumer orientated market as regards dangerous drugs. Indeed, the double risk factor of first importing drugs into Hong Kong and thence into a third country, particularly with Hong Kong's effective enforcement effort, has made such a venture unattractive. However, with the low prices and poor profit margins to be made in Hong Kong, some re-exportation of drugs has re-emerged. During 1985, nine such cases were detected in Hong Kong involving both No. 3 and No. 4 heroin, herbal and resinous cannabis, and methylamphetamines. Destinations included Canada, U.S.A., France and Japan. The most significant cases involved the seizure of 7.4 kilograms of No. 4 heroin destined for New York concealed inside tins of tea, and 7.9 kilograms of methylamphetamine with 3.5 kilograms of No. 4 heroin about to be smuggled by Japanese couriers to Hawaii.
LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS
40. Hong Kong's anti-narcotics law are kept under constant review by the Government, with the advice of the Action Committee Against Narcotics, to ensure that they remain relevant and applicable to the ever-changing situation of the narcotics problem and can be effectively enforced.
41.
For this reason, the anti-narcotics laws are effective and forceful and it was only necessary to make one amendment to the laws, namely the upgrading of quinalbarbitone, a drug which has been widely abused worldwide and which is popular among certain sections of the community in Hong Kong, from
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