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# Appendix VIII.
## THE CONTROL OF DANGEROUS DRUGS IN HONG KONG AND TREATMENT OF ADDICTS.
### (a) CONTROL.
Raw and prepared opium are controlled by the Opium Ordinance (No. 7 of 1932), and dangerous drugs by the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (No. 35 of 1935), and regulations made under both ordinances. There were no changes in these legal requirements in 1939.
2. There were no modifications in administration during the year. There is evidence of wholesale addiction to (a) prepared opium, and (b) heroin pills. There were no important irregularities in the controlled import or sale locally. There is no export of opium or dangerous drugs from Hong Kong except,
(a) in transit under proper international documents, and
(b) special "Relief Purposes", dangerous drugs in transit to China.
Letters of warning were sent in a few cases for minor offences to local medical practitioners and chemists. As a general rule the Hong Kong licit traffic under both heads is controlled on approved lines and there is no evidence of legal opium or drugs passing into illicit channels.
3. The international system has worked satisfactorily. No diversion certificates were issued and transit was only allowed when the drugs or opium were under valid international documents. There were no cases which involved forged documents of any kind.
4. Close contact is made direct by the superintendent of imports and exports (the officer in charge of opium and dangerous drug operations) with Far Eastern colonial authorities connected with the opium and drug traffic and with the United States Treasury Department's representatives in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Other contacts are made in the normal course through diplomatic channels. Seizures were made as the result of these contacts and much useful information was passed on without delay in order that it might arrive at the other end in time to be of value.
5. There is an enormous illicit traffic in opium and heroin pills and the total number of seizures under each head were:
Drug No. of cases Total amount seized Raw opium 180 13,476 ounces Prepared opium 1,460 13,640 ounces Heroin pills 794 3,741,914 pills Heroin 11 115.9/10 ouncesThere were many seizures of opium on ships, but usually under conditions which indicated that the opium was intended for Hong Kong consumption. In two large cases, however, opium was seized under conditions which showed that it was intended for consumption elsewhere.
The heroin pills were in all cases of local manufacture and no evidence was obtained of the import or export of these pills. In one case the heroin seized was imported from Macao and in the others there was no indication as to its origin.
M 133
Appendix VIII.
THE CONTROL OF DANGEROUS DRUGS IN HONG KONG AND
TREATMENT OF ADDICTS.
(a) CONTROL.
Raw and prepared opium are controlled by the Opium Ordinance (No. 7 of 1932), and dangerous drugs by the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (No. 35 of 1935), and regulations made under both ordinances. There were no changes in these legal requirements in 1939.
2. There were no modifications in administration during the year. evidence of wholesale addiction to (a) prepared opium, and (b) heroin pills. were no important irregularities in the controlled import or sale locally. no export of opium or dangerous drugs from Hong Kong except,
(a) in transit under proper international documents, and
There is
There
There is
(b) special "Relief Purposes", dangerous drugs in transit to China.
Letters of warning were sent in a few cases for minor offences to local medical practitioners and chemists. As a general rule the Hong Kong licit traffic under both heads is controlled on approved lines and there is no evidence of legal opium or drugs passing into illicit channels.
3. The international system has worked satisfactorily. No diversion certificates were issued and transit was only allowed when the drugs or opium were under valid international documents. There were no cases which involved forged docu- ments of any kind.
4. Close contact is made direct by the superintendent of imports and exports (the officer in charge of opium and dangerous drug operations) with Far Eastern colonial authorities connected with the opium and drug traffic and with the United States Treasury Department's representatives in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Other contacts are made in the normal course through diplomatic channels. Seizures were made as the result of these contacts and much useful information was passed on without delay in order that it might arrive at the other end in time to be of value.
5. There is an enormous illicit traffic in opium and heroin pills and the total number of seizures under each head were:
Raw opium
Prepared opium
Heroin pills
Heroin
Drug
Table I.
No. of cases
180
1,460
Total amount seized.
13,476 ounces
13,640 ounces
794
3,741,914 pills
11
115.9/10 ounces
There were many seizures of opium on ships, but usually under conditions which indicated that the opium was intended for Hong Kong consumption. In two large cases, however, opium was seized under conditions which showed that it was intended for consumption elsewhere.
The heroin pills were in all cases of local manufacture and no evidence was obtained of the import or export of these pills. In one case the heroin seized was imported from Macao and in the others there was no indication as to its origin.
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