140. Of particular interest is the increase in the total amount of drugs seized and destroyed during the year and the success in the detection and destruction of clandestine heroin manufacturing centres. Statistics for the period under review show that 17,264 dangerous drugs offences were recorded which resulted in 13,819 persons being charged with one or more offences. Of the total recorded 13,289 related to heroin, 3,967 to opium and eight to morphine. In comparison 18,334 offences were recorded last year and 14,407 persons charged; 14,206 cases related to heroin, 4,123 to opium and five to morphine. An attraction of heroin is that it can be readily consumed anywhere with the aid of little or no equipment, and thus with less risk of detection. The use of a hypodermic syringe is still comparatively rare in Hong Kong.
141. A proportion of the heroin used in Hong Kong is produced locally from imported base materials. These materials take the form of raw opium or compressed morphine blocks which are processed to obtain both the cruder granulated type of heroin favoured by local addicts and the higher grade heroin which is mainly for export.
142. The numerous seizures of narcotics made again show that extensive use is still being made of vessels and aircraft arriving in Hong Kong from Bangkok. Some 70% of the morphine and 30% of the raw opium seized during the year had been transported on vessels and aircraft arriving from Bangkok. Use was also made of vessels arriving in the Colony from Karachi and the large consignment of 1,076 lbs. of raw opium, seized during the latter part of the year by the Preventive Service of the Commerce and Industry Department, had been loaded on a vessel at Karachi. Passenger ferries and junks plying between the Colony and Macau are other means by which narcotics are smuggled to and fro. Experience has shown that a close relationship is maintained between drug traffickers in the two Colonies.
143. Traffic out of the Colony is mainly in pure heroin powder ready for immediate distribution and consumption on arrival at its destination. Efforts to suppress the illegal exportation of drugs have been rewarded with several important seizures, the arrest of a number of drug carriers and, in one particular case, the arrest of several import- ant members of an international syndicate.
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