Public Order | 319
community, the ND will continue reaching out to more organisations and to assist them in organising anti-drug programmes.
The Beat Drugs Fund
The Government set up the Beat Drugs Fund in 1996 with a capital of $350 million. In 2009, $22.87 million was approved by the fund for carrying out 68 anti- drug projects which included various school-based and community-based projects, programmes to reach out to high-risk youth through the internet, projects for ethnic minorities, and pilot short-term treatment and rehabilitation programmes.
Volunteer Scheme
During the year, the 'Anti-drug Volunteer Group' comprising 104 companies and institutions and 350 individuals took part in, or helped organise 15 anti-drug community and publicity activities. These included district anti-drug and fight crime carnivals, exhibitions, sports competitions, seminars, festive visits to drug treatment and rehabilitation centres and day camp.
Action Against Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing
Hong Kong is committed to the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. The establishment and operation of a comprehensive and effective regime to tackle these requires cross-functional co-ordination among government departments, financial regulators, professional and trade organisations and international bodies. Hong Kong has been a member of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) since 1990. It is also a founding member of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), a regional inter-governmental organisation combating money laundering and terrorist financing, established in 1997.
Since the enactment of the Drug Trafficking (Recovery of Proceeds) Ordinance in 1989 and the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance in 1994, a total of $563 million assets were confiscated and handed to the Government. As at December 31, 2009, assets worth $123.2 million had been ordered to be confiscated pending recovery. Furthermore, a total of $4,286 million was put under restraint pending confiscation proceedings under the two ordinances.
In the light of changes in the money laundering and terrorist financing situation at the international level and with a view to strengthening the strategy in tackling the money laundering and terrorist financing problems, the overall co-ordinating role for the anti-money laundering/counter financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) policies was transferred from the ND to the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau in October 2008.
The ND continued to promote compliance with AML and CFT standards in the non-financial sectors. It also assisted in overseeing the implementation of the 40+9 recommendations made by the FATF that were related to designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs) and non-profit organisations (NPOs) with a
1 The DNFBPs are Accountants, Estate Agents, Lawyers, Precious Metals/Stones Dealers, Trust and
Company Service Providers.