XN000022-1981-02-06 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1981

TWO REMARKABLE SEIZURES IN THE HARBOUR TOOK PLACE AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.

ON DECEMBER 15, CUSTOMS OFFICERS FOUND 19.69 KG OF HEROIN BASE IN THE CARGO HATCH OF A POLISH VESSEL FROM BANGKOK. ANOTHER SHIPMENT OF 5.29 KG OF HEROIN BASE WAS SEIZED BY CUSTOMS OFFICERS NINE DAYS LATER ON BOARD ANOTHER VESSEL.

+THE FIRST SEIZURE, MR TONG SAID, +WAS THE LARGEST HEROIN BASE IMPORT INTERCEPTED ON BOARD OCEAN-GOING VESSELS IN HONG KONG HISTORY.+

1980 WAS A BUSY YEAR FOR THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE. THEY SEIZED $73 MILLION WORTH OF DANGEROUS DRUGS, INCLUDING 27.31 KG OF HEROIN, 37.33 KG OF HEROIN BASE, 68.96 KG OF OPIUM, 1.81 KG OF MORPHINE, 5.8 KG OF CANNABIS AND 32,6 KG OF CANNABIS RESIN.

OF THESE, 35.69 KG WERE SEIZED AT THE AIRPORT, 109.3 KG

IN THE HARBOUR AND 28.87 KG ON LAND.

THE SERVICE'S ANTI-NARCOTICS OPERATION ALSO LED TO THE ARRESTS OF 767 PERSONS WHO WERE PROSECUTED FOR DRUG OFFENCES.

THE SERVICE ALSO PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION ON DRUG SUPPRESSION, VALUABLE INFORMATION ON INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRAFFICKING WERE EXCHANGED BETWEEN THE SERVICE AND FOREIGN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.

THIS RESULTED IN TWO REMARKABLE SEIZURES BY OVERSEAS AGENCIES. ON OCTOBER 16, ACTING ON INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY THE SERVICE, THE PHILIPPINES CUSTOMS SEIZED 2.8 KG OF HEROIN BASE AND ARRESTED THREE SUSPECTS. ON NOVEMBER 29, ALSO ACTING ON INFORMATION BY THE SERVICE, THE ROYAL THAI CUSTOMS SEIZED 5.5 KG OF NO. 3 HEROIN AND ARRESTED THREE PEOPLE.

789 BUILDING PLANS APPROVED IN 1980

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A TOTAL OF 789 NEW BUILDING PLANS WERE APPROVED BY THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT LAST YEAR, COMPARED WITH 859 IN 1979.

THE TOTAL DECLARED COST OF NEW BUILDINGS COMPLETED DURING THE YEAR WAS $4 674 MILLION, AS AGAINST $3 268 MILLION IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

THE TOTAL USABLE FLOOR AREA OF NEW BUILDINGS COMPLETED WAS ABOUT 2.60 MILLION SQUARE METRES. IN 1979 IT WAS 2.87 MILLION SQUARE METRES.

IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR, THE BOO APPROVED 68 NEW BUILDING PLANS, COMPARED WITH 70 IN THE SAME MONTH IN 1979.

OF THESE, 27 WERE FOR BUILDINGS ON HONG KONG ISLAND, SEVEN FOR KOWLOON AND 34 FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES.

/THEY INCLUDED