SUNDAY, AUGUST 11, 1985
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CUSTOMS WARN OF POSSIBLE BOAT FORFEITURES
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SMUGGLERS WHO USE SPEED BOATS OR SMALL CRAFT TO SMUGGLE MERCHANDISE OR PROHIBITED ARTICLES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA MIGHT HAVE THEIR VESSELS FORFEITED, SAID THE HEAD OF THE CUSTOMS INVESTIGATION BUREAU, MR MAK KAM-LAU.
HE GAVE THIS WARNING WHEN COMMENTING ON A RECENT CASE IN WHICH A SPEED BOAT WITH TWIN 235-HORSE-POWER ENGINES WAS ORDERED BY THE COURT TO BE FORFEITED.
THIS WAS THE FIRST CRAFT USED FOR SMUGGLING TO BE FORFEITED TO THE CROWN FOLLOWING AN APPLICATION BY THE CUSTOMS.
EARLIER, THREE PERSONS INVOLVED IN THIS CASE WERE EACH
SENTENCED TO SIX MONTHS' JAIL.
THERE ARE AT PRESENT 11 SPEED BOATS BEING DETAINED PENDING FORFEITURE HEARINGS.
MR MAK STRESSED THAT THE CUSTOMS AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WOULD CONTINUE THEIR STRINGENT SURVEILLANCE ON SMUGGLING ACTIVITIES IN HONG KONG.
ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE BUREAU, IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR, THE BUREAU HANDLED A TOTAL OF 2 130 PROSECUTIONS, AN INCREASE OF 16 PER CENT OVER THE SAME PERIOD IN 1984.
AMONG THESE CASES, 1 131 CAME UNDER THE DUTIABLE COMMODITIES ORDINANCE, 591 UNDER THE DANGEROUS DRUGS ORDINANCE, 183 UNDER THE IMPORT AND EXPORT ORDINANCE AND THE REST OF 225 UNDER OTHER ORDINANCES.
TOTAL FINES IMPOSED AMOUNTED TO $1.2 MILLION AND JAIL SENTENCES WERE IMPOSED IN TERMS TOTALLING 342 YEARS.
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