XN000022-1977-11-04 — Page 9

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1977

COURSE FOR DRUG FIGHTERS

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A TOTAL OF 23 POLICE AND CUSTOMS OFFICERS FROM TEN COUNTRIES WILL GATHER IN HONG KONG THIS WEEKEND FOR A TWO-WEEK COURSE FOR NARCOTICS LAW ENFORCEMENT INSTRUCTORS SPONSORED BY THE UNITED NATIONS DIVISION OF NARCOTIC DRUGS.

THE AIM OF THE COURSE, WHICH WILL BE HELD IN THE HONG KONG CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE TRAINING SCHOOL AT TAI LAM CHUNG FROM NOVEMBER 7 TO 18, IS TO PROMOTE GREATER KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF INTERNATIONAL DRUG PROBLEMS AND THE MEANS OF OVERCOMING THEM.

THE PROGRAMME WILL INCLUDE LECTURES AND DEMONSTRATIONS ON ANTI-SMUGGLING METHODS, TECHNIQUES OF INVESTIGATION, SURVEILLANCE OPERATIONS AND THE USE OF DRUG DETECTION DOGS. THERE WILL BE VISITS TO THE POLICE FORENSIC LABORATORY AND THE TAI LAM ADDICTION TREATMENT CENTRE OF THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT. THOSE TAKING PART WILL ALSO RECEIVE INSTRUCTION IN TRAINING METHODS TO ENABLE THEM TO ORGANISE LECTURES AND COURSES IN THEIR OWN COUNTRIES.

APART FROM HONG KONG, THE COUNTRIES REPRESENTED CONSIST OF BURMA, INDIA, INDONESIA, MALAYSIA, NEPAL, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, THE PHILIPPINES, SINGAPORE AND THAILAND.

THE MAIN SPEAKERS WILL BE OFFICIALS FROM THE GOVERNMENT SECRETAR IAT'S NARCOTICS DIVISION, THE POLICE NARCOTICS BUREAU, THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE, THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE CIVIL SERVICE TRAINING DIVISION, TOGETHER WITH HONG KONG BASED ANTI-NARCOTICS SPECIALISTS FROM THE UNITED STATES CUSTOMS SERVICE, THE UNITED STATES DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION, THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE, AND A NETHERLAND NARCOTICS LIAISON OFFICER STATIONED IN BANGKOK.

THE UNITED NATIONS DIVISION OF NARCOTIC DRUGS HAS RUN SEVERAL COURSES OF THIS TYPE - MOSTLY IN GENEVA - BUT THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TO TAKE PLACE IN HONG KONG AND ONLY THE SECOND TO BE HELD IN THE REGION.

A SIMILAR COURSE WAS HELD IN DJAKARTA IN 1974 WHEN HONG KONG WAS REPRESENTED BY A POLICE SUPER INTENDENT AND AN ASSISTANT SUPER INTENDENT OF THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE.

THE IDEA OF USING HONG KONG AS A VENUE ON THIS OCCASION FIRST AROSE DURING THE HONG KONG CONFERENCE OF SENIOR PREVENTIVE OFFICERS HELD IN MAY LAST YEAR WHEN UN OBSERVERS DECIDED TRAT THE HONG KONG CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE TRAINING SCHOOL OFFERED

IDEAL FACILITIES FOR A REGIONAL COURSE.

SINCE THEN, THERE HAS BEEN A REGULAR CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN HONG KONG AND GENEVA AND BOTH THE CCN13SIONER FOR NARCOTICS AND A SENIOR SUPER INTENDENT OF THE HONG KONG CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE HAVE VISITED THE CENTRAL TAILING UNIT OF THE UK DIVISION OF NARCOTIC DRUGS IN GENEVA TO DISCUSS ARRANGEMENTS.

/THE COURSE VILL