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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1976
RECORD ARRESTS OF DRUG COURIERS
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BETWEEN JANUARY AND NOVEMBER THIS YEAR THE PREVENTIVE SERVICE FOILED A RECORD NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS BY COURIERS TO SMUGGLE NARCOTICS AND SOFT DRUGS INTO HONG KONG THROUGH THE BUSY KAI TAK AIRPORT.
DURING THE SAME PERIOD, A TOTAL OF 65 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 14 WOMEN, WERE ARRESTED AT KAI TAK.
AMONG THEM WERE 24 HONG KONG CHINESE, 16 THAIS, SIX INDIANS, FIVE AUSTRALIANS, FOUR AMERICANS, FOUR SINGAPOREANS AND FOUR MALAYSIANS. TWO YOUNG DUTCH MEN WHO WERE ABOUT TO BOARD A PLANE AFTER SPENDING THE IR HOLIDAYS HERE WERE ALSO ARRESTED WHEN FOUND IN POSSESSION OF DRUGS.
THE AMOUNT OF DRUGS SEIZED AT THE AIRPORT DURING THIS PERIOD AMOUNTED TO 177 KILOS, INCLUDING 64 KILOS OF MORPHINE AND 60 KILOS OF CANNABIS.
DURING THE WHOLE OF LAST YEAR THE AMOUNT OF DRUGS SEIZED AT KAI TAK REACHED 133 KILOS WHILE THE NUMBER OF COURIERS ARRESTED NUMBERED 37. THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS AT KAI TAK IN 1974 WAS NINE AND THE QUANTITY OF DRUGS SEIZED WAS ONLY THREE KILOGRAMMES.
ACCORDING TO MR. TONG KANG-SHING, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF THE PREVENTIVE SERVICE (INVESTIGATION), THE METHODS USED BY COURIERS TO BRING DRUGS INTO HONG KONG THESE DAYS WERE GETTING MORE AND MORE SOPHISTICATED.
+THEY ARE CONCEAL ING THEM IN PLACES YOU WOULDN'T DREAM OF,+ HE POINTED OUT.
HE NOTED THAT MANY OF THOSE ARRESTED HID DRUGS IN COOKED OR PACKAGED FOOD AND IN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
MR. TONG EXPLAINED THAT THE RECORD NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARRESTED AT KAI TAK SO FAR THIS YEAR WAS DUE TO THE ANNIHILATION OF DRUG KINGPINS IN 1974 WHEN THE BULK OF THE DRUGS WERE BROUGHT IN BY FISHING TRAWLERS.
+MANY OF THE MAJOR SYNDICATES HAVE BEEN NEUTRALISED AND MORE SMUGGLING IS NOW DONE BY INDIVIDUAL OPERATORS, HE SAID.
+WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO CONTAIN THIS BY RAIDING OPIUM SMOKING DIVANS AND BY PICKING UP 'PUSHERS' IN THE STREET AND SUCH PLACES AS PUBLIC CONVENIENCES, + HE STRESSED.
/MK. TONG