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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1986
EACH LAUNCH WILL WORK TO A 24-HOUR SHIFT SYSTEM AND IN ADDITION TO ITS NORMAL CREW WILL CARRY A MARINE STRIKE AND SEARCH TEAM TO INTERCEPT AND SEARCH SMALL CRAFT AND TO CARRY OUT OPERATIONS ON OUTLYING ISLANDS AND OTHER AREAS ONLY ACCESSIBLE FROM SEA.
WHILE UNITS ARE OPERATING ASHORE, THE LAUNCHES WILL CONTINUE TO PATROL THEIR DESIGNATED SECTORS, THUS ENSURING MAXIMUM COVERAGE AT ALL TIMES.
SINCE THREE LAUNCHES ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO COVER THE WATERS OF HONG KONG ADEQUATELY, THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE IS CONTEMPLATING MAKING A REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL VESSELS IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN ITS PRESENCE IN NORTHEAST AND NORTHWEST WATERS.
MR LEE SAID THE INTERCEPTION AND SEARCH OF SMALL CRAFT BY THE MARINE STRIKE AND SEARCH TEAMS IS A MONUMENTAL TASK TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE LARGE NUMBER OF RIVER VESSELS FROM CHINA AND LOCAL FISHING JUNKS WHICH ENTER AND LEAVE HONG KONG WATERS EACH DAY.
THIS IS AGGRAVATED BY THE FACT THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT THAI TRAWLERS, WHICH HAD BEEN DORMANT FOR SOME YEARS, ARE AGAIN BEING USED BY TRAFFICKERS TO BRING DRUGS INTO HONG KONG.
SINCE THE TRAWLERS TRANSFER THE DRUGS TO LOCAL CRAFT IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS WHICH ARE BEYOND THE JURISDICTION OF HONG KONG, THE INTERCEPTION OF THESE SMALL CRAFT, WHICH MINGLE WITH THE HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR VESSELS ENTERING HONG KONG WATERS, MAKES DETECTION EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.
MR LEE ALSO SAID: +SEIZURES OF DUTIABLE GOODS AND OTHER CONTRABAND ARE BEING MADE DAILY AND, DESPITE THE FACT THEY ATTRACT LITTLE OR NO PUBLICITY AND THEREFORE GO UNKNOWN AND UNANNOUNCED, MORALE WITHIN THE STRIKE AND SEARCH DIVISION REMAINS HIGH.
+FROM TIME TO TIME WE DO HIT THE JACKPOT, AS IN THE ROUTINE SEIZURE OF 120 KILOGRAMS OF HEROIN BASE AND FIREARMS IN 1984 WHICH WERE FOUND ON BOARD A LOCAL FISHING JUNK INTERCEPTED OFF CHEUNG CHAU AND THE SEIZURE OF 32 KILOGRAMS OF MANDRAX TABLETS ON BOARD A CHINESE RIVER VESSEL INTERCEPTED OFF PEARL ISLAND IN MAY THIS YEAR.+
DURING THE PAST SEVEN MONTHS. A TOTAL OF 12 642 SMALL CRAFT WERE SEARCHED BY THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE. RESULTING IN THE ARREST OF 26 PERSONS AND THE SEIZURE OF CONTRABAND GOODS, WORTH ABOUT $1.98 MILLION.
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