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Hong Kong Deft
HONG KONG
A.1. Status of Illegal Narcotics Production and Trafficking
Hong Kong has a substantial heroin addict problem and serves as financial center for the drug trade. Although Hong Kong authorities believe that most heroin which enters the territory is consumed there, some U.S.-bound heroin no. 4 transits the territory. There is also increasing evidence that heroin and heroin base entering Hong Kong have been diverted to Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States, since Hong Kong street prices have been depressed for more than a year. This trend is reflected in the recent preference of traffickers for importing heroin no. 4 to the territory. Heroin in this form is also converted to the heroin no. 3 which is consumed by Hong Kong's addicts.
Besides the
the traditional Chinese traffickers, who are usually members of criminal syndicates (triads), there are increasing numbers of "entrepreneurs" shipping small quantities of heroin no. 4 to the United States.
Narcotics traffickers seem to be
to be trafficking drugs in smaller quantities, continuing a trend which began in 1985. Traffickers travel more frequently to Bangkok to reorganize routes and methods, use public phones to avoid wiretaps, and use fake passports (Bolivian, Portuguese, Filipino, Thai or Singaporean, countries which have large Chinese populations).
To avoid immigration watch lists, smugglers often buy airline tickets for two different flights, using one to go through immigration and the second to board the intended flight. Tracing the courier thus becomes extremely difficult.
Another trend is toward the use
use of younger couriers. These young men are usually triad candidates trying to prove themselves by carrying narcotics. The risk to them is not great, since in most areas of the world they will receive minimal sentences if caught.
Traffickers use Taipei, Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul and Manila as staging areas
areas or cities of "origin" for the second leg of the smuggling run from Bangkok. Traffickers often choose to arrive at interior cities like Chicago rather than traditional ports of entry -- New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
An unclaimed bag containing 40 kilograms of heroin was discovered at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport, suggesting the existence of a trafficking route involving members of Hong Kong