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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1992
TRIABLE
ON
"I WILL BE PROPOSING THAT THESE OFFENCES BE MADE INDICTMENT, WITH PENALTIES INCREASED TO A MAXIMUM FINE OF $2 MILLION AND SEVEN YEARS' IMPRISONMENT, HE SAID.
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HE WOULD ALSO BE PROPOSING FURTHER CONTROLS ON THE OPERATION AND DESIGN OF "CHUNG FEI" SPEEDBOATS, ALONG THE LINES OF THE CONTROLS INTRODUCED LAST YEAR ON "TAI FEIS", WHICH EFFECTIVELY REDUCED THEIR NUMBER AND THEIR OPERATION ON HONG KONG.
ANOTHER PROPOSAL TO DETER CAR THEFT WHICH HE INTENDED TO BRING FORWARD WAS TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR THE OFFENCE FROM THREE YEARS TO SEVEN YEARS' IMPRISONMENT.
WAS
HE SAID NEW LEGISLATIVE MEASURES WERE IMPORTANT BUT WERE NOT THE ONLY WEAPON TO COMBAT SMUGGLING. VIGOROUS ENFORCEMENT ACTION ALSO REQUIRED, TOGETHER WITH EFFECTIVE CROSS-BORDER CO-OPERATION.
HONG KONG AND CHINA HAD A COMMON INTEREST IN THIS PROBLEM THERE HAD BEEN GOOD CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES IN THE YEAR, NOT ONLY AGAINST SMUGGLING BUT AGAINST CROSS-BORDER GENERALLY, HE NOTED.
AND
PAST CRIME
"BUT THERE IS SCOPE FOR GREATER CO-OPERATION, AND THE POLICE ARE DISCUSSING WITH THEIR CHINESE COUNTERPARTS THE MOUNTING OF FURTHER CO-ORDINATED OPERATIONS AGAINST SMUGGLING.
ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, MR ASPREY SAID THE AUTHORITIES WERE SEEKING THE CO-OPERATION OF WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS' ORGANISATIONS ΤΟ TACKLE THIS PROBLEM.
"WE ARE ALSO DISCUSSING WITH THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT AND SECURITY OF CONSTRUCTION SITES, SO AS TO MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO WORK THERE.
"WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON IMPROVED PUBLICITY, TO EXPLAIN TO WOULD-BE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN CHINA THE RISKS AND PENALTIES THEY FACE IF THEY TRY TO ENTER HONG KONG," HE SAID.
TURNING TO THE POLICE FORCE, MR ASPREY SAID POLICE RECRUITMENT HAD PICKED UP GREATLY SINCE THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN MAY THIS YEAR OF MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF JUNIOR POLICE OFFICERS.
THE POLICE FORCE HAD ALSO CIVILIANISED A NUMBER OF NON- OPERATIONAL POSTS AND TO TRANSFER CERTAIN NON-CONSTABULARY DUTIES то OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
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'I CAN ALSO NOW CONFIDENTLY PREDICT THE CLOSURE OF THE SEK KONG DETENTION CENTRE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, AND THE CONSEQUENT TRANSFER OF POLICE MANPOWER FROM VIETNAMESE CENTRE DUTIES BACK TO NORMAL POLICE WORK," HE SAID.
THE NET EFFECT OF ALL THESE MEASURES WILL BE A CONTINUING INCREASE OVER THE COMING MONTHS IN THE NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS DEPLOYED ON THE STREETS.
/HE SAID