PUBLIC ORDER
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Executive Council, while the two vice-chairmen are drawn from the Legislative Council. Its members include eight Justices of the Peace, the Attorney General or his representative and the Commissioner for Administrative Complaints.
During the year, the council endorsed 2 997 complaint cases, after being satisfied that each case had been thoroughly and impartially investigated by CAPO. Arising from the reviewing of these complaint cases, the council proposed a number of changes to police practices, procedures and instructions, with a view to improving the overall effectiveness of the complaint system and assisting the Commissioner of Police in minimising public complaints against the police.
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Since July, the council has been empowered to interview witnesses as and when it considers necessary. Action is also in hand to make the council a statutory body in 1995–96. Both reforms are to enable the council to carry out its monitoring role more effectively and with enhanced public confidence.
Customs and Excise
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The Customs and Excise Department is organised into five major branches Headquarters Branch, Operations Branch, Investigation Branch, Trade Controls Branch and the Civil Secretariat. It is primarily responsible for the collection and protection of revenue under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, the suppression of illicit trafficking in narcotics, the prevention and detection of smuggling, and the enforcement of intellectual property rights protection.
The department has an establishment of 3 990 posts.
Revenue Protection
The department is responsible for collecting and protecting duty revenue on four groups of dutiable commodities in Hong Kong - liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil and methyl alcohol. In 1994, revenue of $7,512 million was collected on these dutiable commodities, an increase of $228 million compared with $7,284 million in 1993.
The smuggling of dutiable cigarettes into Hong Kong from China remained prevalent during the year. While the level of duty on cigarettes remained unchanged in 1994, the price difference with cigarettes across the border was still substantial, and smuggling remained a lucrative venture. As a result, the illegal sale of dutiable cigarettes continued to be a problem. To curb this, an anti-cigarette-smuggling task force, comprising 40 officers, was established in May to step up enforcement action against smuggling and enhance the collection of intelligence. In 1994, the department seized 179 million cigarettes with a duty potential of $104 million, in 19 768 cases.
The illegal use of duty-exempt diesel oil by road vehicles and the unauthorised removal of markers and colouring increased during the year. Some 454 persons were arrested and 318 178 litres of industrial diesel oil were seized. In addition to collecting duty, the depart- ment assumed responsibility during the year for assessing the first registration tax of motor vehicles, under the Motor Vehicles (First Registration Tax) Ordinance.
Anti-narcotics Operations
The department plays an important role in the prevention and suppression of illicit trafficking in dangerous drugs. The 241-strong Customs Drug Investigation Bureau is the