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FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 1979
GOVT BURNS $56 MILLION WORTH OF SEIZED NARCOTICS
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SOME 1,140 LBS, OF RAW OPIUM AND 310 LBS. OF MORPHINE WITH A STREET VALUE OF OVER $56 MILLION SEIZED BY THE POLICE AND CUSTOMS AND EXCISE OFFICERS OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS WERE BURNT AT THE KENNEDY TOWN INCINERATOR THIS (FRIDAY) AFTERNOON.
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS (ACAN), SIR ALBERT RODRIGUES, IN AN ADDRESS TO A GATHERING SAID THE DESTRUCTION OF THE DRUGS BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS IN SUPPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL BOARD'S APPEAL TO ALL MEMBER GOVERNMENTS OF THE UNITED NATIONS TO STOP SELL ING SEIZED DRUGS.
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO ALSO WITNESSED THE BURNING WERE THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, MR. D.H. JORDAN- THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR. LEWIS DAVIES- THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. K.L. THONG THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, MR. ROY HENRY AND THE COMMISSIONER FOR NARCOTICS, MR. E.1. LEE. LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR, FR. P.T. MCGOVERN WAS ALSO PRESENT.
SIR ALBERT SAID THE APPEAL FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF SEIZED DRUGS WAS MADE BECAUSE OF THE OVER-PRODUCTION OF OPIUM FOR LICIT PURPOSES.
+THESE IF UNCHECKED, COULD CLEARLY CAUSE A SLUMP IN THE PRICE PAID TO LICIT OPIUM GROWERS WITH THE CONSEQUENT DANGER OF DIVERSION TO THE ILLICIT MARKET, HE WARNED.
DUE TO THIS SITUATION, SIR ALBERT POINTED OUT, ACAN LAST MONTH RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNMENT THAT THE SALE OF SEIZED DRUGS SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED AND THAT THOSE HELD IN STOCK, AS WELL AS THOSE WHICH MIGHT BE SEIZED IN FUTURE, SHOULD BE DESTROYED AS LONG AS THE WORLD-WIDE OVER-SUPPLY PERSISTED.
+THE GOVERNMENT,
HE CONTINUED, +ACCEPTED ACAN'S ADVICE AND
THE RESULT IS TODAY'S BONFIRE.+
IN PRAISING THE POLICE AND CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE HE SAID : +THEIR SKILL AND DEDICATION HAVE, OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, BROKEN ALL THE FORMERLY POWERFUL DRUG TRAFFICKING SYNDICATES, THEY HAVE PRACTICALLY ELIMINATED HONG KONG AS AN EXPORTER OF DRUGS, AND THEY HAVE KEPT DRUG PRICES HIGH AND TRAFFICKERS ON THE RUN.+
SIR ALBERT RECALLED THAT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS PRIOR TO 1977, THERE WAS A WORLD-WIDE SHORTAGE OF RAW OPIUM FOR LICIT USE AND GOVERNMENTS WHICH HAD SEIZED OPIUM HAD NO DIFFICULTY IN FINDING AUTHORISED BUYERS WHO NEED THE DRUGS TO PRODUCE PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS.
HE POINTED OUT THAT DRUGS PREVIOUSLY DESTROYED OR SOLD BROUGHT THE TOTAL VALUE OF SEIZURES FROM 1976 TO 1979, TO $150 MILLION.
HE ADDED THAT HONG KONG COULD NOT AFFORD TO RELAX IN ITS ANTI-NARCOTICS EFFORTS, EMPHASIS ING THAT A GREAT DEAL REMAINED TO BE DONE.
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