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when mutual trust and respect is fostered between the case worker and his client. An aftercare officer can, if necessary, make recommendations for the recall of an inmate for further training or treatment.
Staff
All newly recruited Prisons Department staff have to undergo a 12-month train- ing programme at the Staff Training Institute at Stanley and in the field. The training is comprehensive in theory and practice, and intermediate and advanced examinations are held.
Preventive Service
The Hong Kong Preventive Service is a disciplined force of 1,121 officers under the control of the Director of Commerce and Industry in his capacity as Commis- sioner.
The service is responsible for the collection and protection of revenue derived from the four categories of commodities which are dutiable-alcoholic liquors, tobacco, methyl alcohol, and hydrocarbon oils used as fuel for motor vehicles and aircraft. Controls over the import, export, manufacture, sale and storage of these commodities throughout Hong Kong are imposed by the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, which is administered by the service. The success of revenue protection operations is reflected in the increased revenue collected from dutiable commodities and the number of seizures made during the year. Some $558 million was collected in 1975-6 compared with $473 million in 1974-5. Seizures and confiscations involved two illicit stills, 591 litres of fermenting materials, 808 kilos of tobacco, 1 844 litres of liquor and 57 272 litres of diesel oil. A total of 600 people were arrested or sum- moned and fines of $171,985 were imposed by the courts.
The service also has responsibilities for the prevention and suppression of illicit trafficking in narcotics and other dangerous drug abuse under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance and the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance. More than half of the service is committed to anti-narcotics activities. Apart from the interception of illegal imports by sea and air, action is taken against premises used for the manufacture, storage, sale and smoking of drugs. During the year, anti-narcotics operations led to the seizure of 673 kilos of dangerous drugs-including 94 kilos of heroin and 116 kilos of morphine. There were 1,691 people arrested in connection with narcotics offences, of whom four were charged with manufacturing and 414 with trafficking in dangerous drugs. The remainder were arrested for simple possession of narcotics or for smoking dangerous drugs in a divan. The total market value of narcotics seized was more than $36 million.
The Preventive Service is the sole agency for the enforcement of the Copyright Ordinance. During the year, a special copyright unit handled 59 cases connected with copyright infringement. This resulted in the seizure of 348 tape recorders, 2,305 records, 514,431 pirated tapes, and 18,046 pirated books. A total of 47 people were convicted of various copyright offences and fines amounting to $232,170 were imposed by the courts.