WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1985
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IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE INTERPOL CONSTITUTION, WHICH HAD STOOD THE TEST OF TIME, WAS WRITTEN BY POLICE OFFICERS AND NOT BY DIPLOMATS,
''THROUGH THE EXTENSIVE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM, AND BY OVERCOMING DIFFERENCES IN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE, INTERPOL EXTENDS THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW RIGHT AROUND THE GLOBE. SO, THE INTERPOL NETWORK IS OF USE TO US BOTH IN THE LOCATION, AND SOMETIMES THE APPREHENSION, OF CRIMINALS WHO ARE WANTED FOR OFFENCES IN HONG KONG AND ENABLES US TO ASSIST OTHER COUNTRIES IN RESPECT OF KNOWN CRIMINALS, WHO ARE WANTED ELSEWHERE, WHO ARE USING HONG KONG.''
ON CHINA'S RECENT ADMISSION TO THE WORLD BODY, MR. ANNING SAID THE PRC WAS NOW A FULL MEMBER AND WAS, INDEED, TAKING A VERY ACTIVE ROLE.
NARCOTICS, WHICH ARE AN INCREASING PROBLEM AROUND THE WORLD, ARE STILL A CHALLENGE FOR THE ORGANISATION, AND THE NEED FOR INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION IN DRUG ENFORCEMENT WAS MORE URGENT THAN EVER BEFORE.
"IT IS NOW BEING SEEN THAT MANY OF THE MAJOR DRUG-PRODUCING COUNTRIES ARE SEEING HEAVY DRUG-USE BY THEIR OWN CITIZENS. ALSO, THAT THE MONEY MADE FROM TRAFFICKING IN DRUGS IS BEING USED TO FINANCE OTHER ILLEGAL, OR UNDESIRABLE ACTIVITIES.
''THE DRUGS SUB-DIVISION OF THE POLICE DIVISION OF THE INTERPOL SECRETARIAT HAS NOW COMPUTERISED ALL RELEVANT DRUGS SEIZURE INFORMATION, THUS, IT CAN PROVIDE MEMBERS -- INCLUDING HONG KONG WITH A VALUABLE SOURCE OF WORLDWIDE DATA ON NARCOTICS.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT CONCERN IF INTERPOL IS TERRORIST CRIME. **THERE IS NOW A REAL ISATION THAT INTERPOL MUST BE IN THE FOREFRONT OF EFFORTS BY MEMBER COUNTRIES TO PREVENT AND CONTROL INTERNATIONAL CRIME COMMITTED BY TERRORISTS. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS HAVE CLEARED THE WAY FOR INTERPOL TO PLAN AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO REDRESS THIS MENACE,'' HE ADDED.
BEFORE HIS VISIT TO WASHINGTON, THE COMMISSIONER FLEW FIRST TO PAR IS TO VISIT THE INTERPOL GENERAL SECRETARIAT AND TO HAVE TALKS WITH THE SECRETARY GENERAL. I ALSO WANTED TO TALK WITH THE HEADS OF THE POLICE DIVISIONS AND SUB-DIVISIONS AND, OF COURSE, TO SEE OUR OWN TWO OFFICERS WHO INDEED ARE IN GOOD HEART.
THE TWO HONG KONG POLICE OFFICERS CURRENTLY POSTED TO THE INTERPOL HEADQUARTERS IN PARIS ARE ACTING SUPERINTENDENT JOHN CHUNG HUI-PANG, AND CHIEF INSPECTOR DAVID PLATTS.
''! HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THEM BOTH AND THEY ARE BOTH DOING EXTREMELY WELL, ALTHOUGH THEY MISS HONG KONG, OF COURSE,'' SAID MR. ANNING.
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''AFTER THAT I WENT TO LONDON, WHERE I HAD OTHER MEETINGS
WITH OTHER ORGANISATIONS, NOT CONNECTED WITH INTERPOL BUSINESS INCLUDING SCOTLAND YARD."
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/ONE PARTICULARLY