WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1991
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GIBRALTAR ADDED TO DRUG TRAFFICKING (RECOVERY OF PROCEEDS) ORDER
THE DRUG TRAFFICKING (RECOVERY OF PROCEEDS) ORDINANCE, ENACTED ON JULY 12, 1989, HAS STRENGTHENED HONG KONG'S ABILITY ΤΟ COMBAT DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRAFFICKING BY PROVIDING THE MEANS TRACE, RESTRAIN AND CONFISCATE THE PROCEEDS OF DRUG TRAFFICKING.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, STRACHAN, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
TO
MR IAN
(DESIGNATED
MOVING THE DRUG TRAFFICKING (RECOVERY OF PROCEEDS) COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES) (AMENDMENT} ORDER 1991, HE SAID THE AMENDMENT ORDER, MADE BY THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL ON DECEMBER 3, WOULD ADD GIBRALTAR TO A DESIGNATION ORDER MADE LAST JANUARY.
THE DESIGNATION ORDER APPLIES THE PROVISIONS OF THE ORDINANCE, WITH CERTAIN MODIFICATIONS, TO ORDERS MADE BY COURTS OR OTHER PROCEEDINGS IN THE DESIGNATED JURISDICTIONS, ENABLING COURTS IN HONG KONG TO CONFISCATE THE PROCEEDS OF DRUG TRAFFICKING, HE SAID,
"IN PARTICULAR IT ENABLES THE HIGH COURT TO ORDER THE RESTRAINT IN HONG KONG OF PROPERTY REQUIRED TO ENFORCE A CONFISCATION ORDER MADE IN ONE OF THE DESIGNATED JURISDICTIONS; AND REGISTER AND ENFORCE A CONFISCATION ORDER MADE BY A COURT IN ONE OF THE DESIGNATED JURISDICTIONS, HE ADDED.
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MR STRACHAN SAID HONG KONG HAD GIBRALTAR BY AN EXCHANGE OF LETTERS.
CONCLUDED
ARRANGEMENTS WITH
"THE ARRANGEMENTS WILL COME INTO EFFECT WHEN BOTH HONG KONG AND GIBRALTAR HAVE NOTIFIED EACH OTHER THAT ALL OF THE NECESSARY LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. GIBRALTAR HAS ALREADY DESIGNATED HONG KONG UNDER ITS LEGISLATION, HE SAID.
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SECTION 28(1) OF THE ORDINANCE PROVIDES FOR THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL, WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, ΤΟ DESIGNATE COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES OUTSIDE HONG KONG TO ENABLE THEIR CONFISCATION AND RELATED ORDERS TO BE ENFORCED HERE, AND ALLOWS ASSISTANCE TO BE PROVIDED IN RELATION то THEIR DRUG TRAFFICKING INVESTIGATIONS.
MR STRACHAN SAID HONG KONG CONCLUDED NINE ARRANGEMENTS WITH AUSTRÁLIA, CANADA, THE UNITED STATES, THE UNITED KINGDOM JURISDICTIONS OF ENGLAND AND WALES, SCOTLAND, NORTHERN IRELAND, JERSEY, GUERNSEY AND THE ISLE OF MAN LATE LAST YEAR.
"THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL, WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BY RESOLUTION, DESIGNATED THESE NINE JURISDICTIONS BY A DESIGNATION ORDER UNDER THE DRUG TRAFFICKING (RECOVERY OF PROCEEDS) ORDINANCE IN JANUARY THIS YEAR.
"EIGHT OF THESE ARRANGEMENTS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GUERNSEY WHICH HAS YET TO DESIGNATE HONG KONG UNDER ITS LEGISLATION, HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO OPERATION.
"AS A RESULT, ABOUT $290 MILLION WORTH OF ASSETS HAVE BEEN SEIZED IN HONG KONG, WITH ALMOST $250 MILLION, OR 86 PER CENT, ARISING FROM ORDERS MADE IN THESE JURISDICTIONS," HE ADDED.
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