XN000022-1976-12-31 — Page 3

1

2

-

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1976

MR. TONG EMPHASISED THAT THE INVESTIGATION DIVISION OF THE SERVICE HAD WIDENED THEIR SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES AGAINST NARCOTICS TRAFFICKERS BY COLLECTING INTELLIGENCE IN LIAISON WITH OTHER REGIONAL CUSTOMS AGENCIES, FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATION STEMMING FROM SEIZURES AND PAYING PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO PEOPLE LEAVING HONG KONG BY AIR.

BECAUSE OF INCREASED VIGILANCE AT THE AIRPORT, HE CONTINUED, A TOTAL OF NINE PEOPLE WERE PICKED UP WITHIN THREE MONTHS (DECEMBER 1975 TO FEBRUARY 1976) WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TAKE DRUGS OUT FROM HONG KONG BY AIR.

+THESE ARRESTS INHIBITED DRUG TRAFFICKERS FROM MAKING

. FURTHER SUCH ATTEMPTS, MR. TONG SAID.

+ALTHOUGH THIS HAS SEEMINGLY STOPPED, PEOPLE IN THIS ILLEGAL NARCOTICS BUSINESS HAVE COME UP WITH ANOTHER PLAN,+ HE ADDED.

+THEY ARE NOW SENDING PEOPLE TO BANGKOK WHERE THEY PICK UP DRUGS AND TAKE THEM TO THEIR CONTACTS IN EUROPE.+

+BY WAY OF CO-OPERATION WITH CUSTOMS AND POLICE AGENCIES IN EUROPE, WE HAVE ACHIEVED A MEASURE OF SUCCESS IN DEALING WITH THIS SITUATION, MR. TONG SAID.

+OUR WELL-TRAINED OFFICERS AT THE AIRPORT HAVE SPOTTED A NUMBER OF LOCAL PEOPLE WHO ARE SUSPECTED TO BE INVOLVED IN NARCOTICS LEAVING KAI TAK.

+WHAT WE THEN DO IS MAKE A CHECK ON THEIR DESTINATIONS AND INFORM THE INTERPOL, HE POINTED OUT.

BECAUSE OF THIS LIAISON WITH INTERPOL, MR. TONG CONTINUED, FOUR LOCAL MEN AND A BRITON WERE ARRESTED IN BANGKOK, FIVE HONG KONG MEN IN PARIS AND TWO IN BRUSSELS.

ACCORDING TO STATISTICS, THE AMOUNT OF DRUGS SEIZED HAS INCREASED FROM 202 KILOS IN 1975 TO ABOUT 565 KILOS IN THE FIRST 11 MONTHS OF THIS YEAR-REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 180 PER CENT,

AND IN VALUE, THE JUMP IS FROM $7.1 MILLION (1975) TO OVER $25 MILLION (JANUARY - NOVEMBER 1976) -- AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 250 PER CENT.

AMONG THE DRUGS SEIZED WERE MORPHINE, HEROIN, RAW OPIUM, PREPARED OPIUM, CANNABIS AND CANNABIS RESIN. THESE WERE FOUND ONBOARD SHIPS, AND IN PREMISES, DIVANS AS WELL AS THE AIRPORT.

MR. TONG NOTED