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INDUSTRY AND TRADE
service is also responsible for enforcing trade controls and inspect- ing factories and goods in connexion with the export of Hong Kong products under certificates of origin and Commonwealth Preference certificates. The chief preventive officer, responsible to the Director of Commerce and Industry, commands a force of three gazetted officers, 208 inspectors and 335 rank and file.
The general organization of the preventive service remained un- changed during the year, the duties being divided between eight sections training, excise, industry, marine, land, New Territories, special (anti-narcotics) and headquarters. Each section is under the charge of a senior revenue inspector.
The service operates a fleet of nine launches, of which two are deep sea-vessels capable of patrolling outside the sheltered waters of the Colony in rough weather. Three new fast inter- mediate patrol vessels were delivered during the year to replace older and slower craft. In September, six launches together with crews were detached for anti-illegal immigration patrols under overall police control. At the end of the year the vessels were still engaged on these activities (see Immigration, chapter 13).
Officers of the service searched 1,153 ocean-going vessels_and 16,324 small craft inside and outside harbour limits. The nine launches patrolled for a total of 12,633 hours during the year. A total of 610 aircraft were inspected and 17,866 freight packages examined, of which 1,209 were detained for payment of duty. Land patrol vehicles linked to headquarters by radio telephone increased their activities during the year and more seizures of smuggled tobacco and illicit stills were made.
The service also plays an important part in the suppression of drug trafficking. A guard of preventive service officers goes aboard each vessel arriving at the immigration anchorage from ports from which drugs are suspected to be smuggled. The guard remains on board while the vessel is in Colony waters, to prevent drugs being smuggled ashore. Officers frequently search these ships and it was as a result of such a search that the largest single seizure of 1962 (35 pounds of morphine and 268 pounds of opium) was made in a rope locker. Another large seizure of 44 pounds of morphine was discovered concealed in a cargo of incense powder. A total of 618 ships were guarded throughout their stay