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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1978
MORE ADDICTION TREATMENT FACILITIES HELP REDUCE CRIME
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THE EXPANSION OF TREATMENT FACILITIES FOR DRUG ADDICTION HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE CRIME SITUATION IN HONG KONG, IT WAS STATED IN THE HONG KONG NARCOTICS REPORT 1977 PUBLISHED TODAY (SATURDAY).
THE REPORT, PUBLISHED ANNUALLY BY THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS (ACAN), REVIEWED 1977 AS A YEAR OF SUSTAINED EFFORTS AND CONTINUED SUCCESS'.
THE REPORT NOTED THAT THE INCREASED AVAILABILITY OF TREATMENT FACILITIES HAD LED TO A DRASTIC DROP IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE CONVICTED IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS FOR MINOR DRUG OFFENCES SUCH AS THE SMOKING AND POSSESSION OF DANGEROUS DRUGS. IN 1974, THE NUMBER WAS 16,200- IT DROPPED TO 11,377 IN 1975, 9,110 IN 1976 AND ONLY 6,683 IN 1977.
THE REPORT DESCRIBED THIS AS A DEMONSTRABLE ACHIEVEMENT' AND SAID THAT ALTHOUGH OTHER FACTORS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS DROP THE AVAILABILITY OF TREATMENT FACILITIES HAS PLAYED NO SMALL PART IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE CRIME SITUATION AS REFLECTED BY THESE FIGURES.
IT GOES ON TO SAY THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT PRESSURE AND CONTINUED EXPANSION OF TREATMENT FACILITIES INDUCED MORE ADDICTS THAN EVER BEFORE TO COME FORWARD FOR TREATMENT VOLUNTARILY DURING THE YEAR. IN SEPTEMBER, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ADDICTS RECEIVING TREATMENT, REHABILITATION OR AFTERCARE DAILY WAS CLOSE ON 16,500, AN ALL-TIME RECORD.
ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE REPORT SAID THAT THE LAST OF THE 'MR. BIGS' IN HONG KONG'S ILLICIT DRUG TRADE WAS GONE AND ALL MAJOR DRUG SYNDICATES HAD BEEN SMASHED.
SUCCESSFUL ACTION BY THE POLICE AND THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE PUSHED ILLICIT DRUG PRICES TO AN ALL-TIME HIGH IN AUGUST WHEN THE WHOLESALE VALUE OF NO. 3 HEROIN REACHED $56,440 A KILOGRAMME, ALMOST TWICE THE VALUE OF GOLD, THE REPORT SAID.
DURING THE YEAR UNDER REVIEW NO ATTEMPT WAS KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN MADE TO SMUGGLE IN BULK SUPPLY OF DRUGS FROM THAILAND BY FISHING TRAWLERS, A PRACTICE WHICH DRUG TRAFFICKERS TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO REVIVE IN 1976.
INSTEAD, DRUGS WERE MAINLY SMUGGLED INTO HONG KONG BY MEANS OF COURIERS OR CONCEALMENT IN AIR CARGO OR ON BOARD OCEAN-GOING VESSELS. THIS BROUGHT A MARKED DECLINE IN SEIZURES OF OPIUM AND MORPHINE, BUT AN INCREASE IN HEROIN WHICH IS LIGHTER TO CARRY AND EASIER TO CONCEAL. THE QUANTITIES SEIZED WERE 147 KILOGRAMMES OF OPTUM, 98 KILOGRAMMES OF MORPHINE AND 179 KILOGRAMMES OF HEROIN, COMPARED WITH 3,553, 291 AND 164 KILOGRAMMES RESPECTIVELY IN 1976.
/ALTOGETHER,