XN000022-1975-12-25 — Page 1

K 香港政府 GIS 新聞處

DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN

SALE OF CONFISCATED GOODS RAISES MILLIONS

******

MORE THAN 3,700 KILOGRAMMES OF RAW OPIUM, WHICH COULD HAVE DONE UNTOLD HARM TO THOUSANDS, ARE NOW TO BE USED TO HEAL PEOPLE.

THE OPIUM, TOGETHER WITH SOME 240 KILOGRAMMES OF MORPHINE HYDROCHLORIDE, WERE SEIZED BY THE PREVENTIVE SERVICE AND POLICE AND WERE SOLD EARLIER THIS YEAR TO OVERSEAS PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURERS LICENSED TO TURN THE DANGEROUS DRUGS INTO MEDICINES.

THEIR SALE, WHICH WAS HANDLED BY THE GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT, FETCHED NEARLY $2.23 MILLION.

NOT ALL CONFISCATED GOODS SOLD BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE GOVERNMENT HOWEVER WERE ON SUCH A LARGE SCALE.

ACCORDING TO MR. JOHN CHAO, SUPERINTENDENT OF GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES (GENERAL DIVISION), THE LARGER PROPORTION OF CONFISCATED GOODS SENT TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR DISPOSAL WERE PICKED UP DURING GAMBLING RAIDS CARRIED OUT BY THE POLICE OR RAIDS CONDUCTED BY INSPECTORS OF THE PREVENTIVE SERVICES'S COPYRIGHT UNIT.

WATCHES AND JEWELLERY, SURETIES PLEDGED FOR STAKES, AND EVEN RADIOS AND ELECTRONIC CALCULATORS TURN UP FOR SALE FROM TIME TO TIME. GAMBLING EQUIPMENT, SUCH AS DOMINOES AND SLOT MACHINES, ARE USUALLY DESTROYED.

FROM THE PREVENTIVE SERVICE COME FAKE WATCHES, PIRATED TAPES AND RECORDS, AND RECORDING INSTRUMENTS.

+THE INGENUITY OF THE IMITATORS IS SUCH THAT THE WATCHES CAN- EASILY DECEIVE AN UNWARY CUSTOMER,+ MR. CHAO SAID.

+

+YET, EVEN THOUGH THE IMITATIONS HAVE A VALUE OF THEIR OWN, ALL *ARE DESTROYED.

+THIS MAY SEEM WASTEFUL, BUT IT IS ONLY RIGHT THAT THE LAWFUL INTERESTS OF THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE PROTECTED,+ MR. CHAO ADDED.

CONFISCATED SPIRITS AND TOBACCO, WHICH ARE DUTIABLE, ARE KEPT AND SOLD SEPARATELY BY THE PREVENTIVE SERVICE FOR THE GOVERNMENT.

VEHICLES OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS, ON THE OTHER HAND, CONFISCATED FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, ARE DEALT WITH BY THE SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT, AND ARE SOLD BY PUBLIC AUCTION.

IN THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR, 990 OF THEM WERE DISPOSED OF BRINGING IN A TOTAL REVENUE OF ABOUT $179,800, OR ON AVERAGE ABOUT $180 A CAR.

+OCCASIONALLY, SMALL VESSELS WHICH WERE USED FOR ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES ARE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY,+ MR. CHAO CONTINUED.

Issued by Government Information Services, Beaconsfield House, Hong Kong. Tel: 5-233191

/+THESE VESSELS,

PAH 7