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PUBLIC ORDER
The Special Crimes Squad continued to maintain pressure against criminal elements, and was responsible for bringing 12 people before the courts for various offences. The most notable success was in connection with the $7.3 million Hang Seng Bank cash-in-transit robbery outside the northern entrance to the cross-harbour tunnel in August. Following more than a month of intensive investigation, the squad arrested eight people, recovered $3.3 million in cash, and seized two firearms. During the year the squad was responsible for the recovery of stolen property valued at more than $3.2 million and the seizure of three firearms and 205 imitation firearms.
The highlight of work by the Commercial Crime Office was the start of investiga- tion into large-scale frauds involving public companies, which came to light in the aftermath of the 1972-3 stock market boom.
In October 1974 the Financial Secretary appointed inspectors to investigate the affairs of a leading engineering company in Hong Kong. Following the submission of their reports, the matter was referred to the Commercial Crime Office for investigation.
During 1974 the government enacted legislation in an attempt to control the excesses experienced in local financial circles during 1972–3. To cope with the new laws and the amount of work which has been thrown up by company frauds already reported, the Commercial Crime Office has been reorganised and a company fraud section established.
As a financial centre in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong is a target for international criminals cashing such things as forged or stolen travellers cheques, bank drafts, and letters of credit. Close contact is kept with Interpol, local banks and travel agencies so as to detect these offences as soon as possible.
In the Ballistics Office the year was marked by the relatively large-number of converted toy guns used in robberies. Starting pistols, cap guns and, in one case, a cap rifle, were modified to the extent where they could not only be classified technically as arms, but had been loaded with home-made ammunition capable of being dis- charged and causing serious injury or death. Although the trend is disturbing, it indicates that the criminal element is experiencing difficulty in obtaining conventional firearms. The Ballistics Office now handles more than 300 cases a year. This is almost 100 per cent more than in 1973.
Narcotics
In the most significant breakthrough for many years in the battle against nar- cotics, two drug syndicate heads were arrested late in 1974 together with many of their associates. The two principals subsequently received prison sentences of 25 and 30 years respectively, and five of their associates had sentences varying from five to 15 years. Pressure against other syndicates was intensified, and in the succeeding months many leading figures in this sphere fled from Hong Kong. A third syndicate head was detained in Taiwan where he is now serving a 12 year sentence. There were 46 members of major drug syndicates arrested in 1975.
With three of the five major syndicates having been totally dismembered, the others have ceased their narcotics activities for fear of similar action against them.