XN000022-1982-09-07 — Page 2

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1982

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GOLDEN TRIANGLE HARVESTS PLACE GREATER BURDEN

ON DRUG FIGHTERS

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THE BUMPER HARVESTS IN THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE+ COUPLED WITH THE LOSS OF ITS MARKETS IN THE WEST HAD INCREASED PRESSURE ON HONG KONG IN THE FIGHT AGAINST NARCOTICS PROBLEMS, THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS AND EXCISE, MR DOUGLAS JORDAN SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

ADDRESSING A LUNCH MEETING OF THE LIONS CLUB OF BEACON HILL, MR JORDAN SAID, UNTIL RECENT YEARS, THE OPIUM OF THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE WAS THE SOURCE OF THE GREATER PART OF THE WORLD'S HEROIN.

→THE TRIBAL AREA STRADDLING THE PAKISTAN AFGHAN BORDER KNOWN AS THE GOLDEN CRESCENT WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH THE WORLD DEMAND FOR GOOD QUALITY HASHISH.+

BUT HE ADDED THAT FROM 1979 THE GOLDEN CRESCENT OPERATORS ENTERED THE HEROIN MARKET ON A MUCH LARGER SCALE THAN BEFORE.

→TODAY THE TRAFFIC HAS TO A LARGE DEGREE POLARIZED. THE GOLDEN CRESCENT SUPPLIES THE WEST, THAT IS COUNTRIES PREVIOUSLY OUTLETS FOR PART AT LEAST OF THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE SUPPLIES WHILE THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE'S MARKETS ARE LARGELY IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC BASIN.

+SUCH POLARIZATION HAS PLACED A LARGE BURDEN ON THIS PART OF THE WORLD. WE ARE ALMOST THE SOLE POTENTIAL MARKET FOR THE BULK OF THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE SUPPLIES. THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE HAS NOW HAD TWO SUCCESSIVE GOOD OPIUM HARVESTS, EACH ABOUT 600/700 METRIC TONS, COMPARED WITH PREVIOUS HARVESTS OF ONLY ONE THIRD THE SIZE, HE ADDED.

IN HONG KONG THE 1981 BUMPER CROP SENT WHOLESALE PRICES TUMBLING FROM OVER $12 000 PER 100 GRAMS TO $6 400 FOR NO, 3 HEROIN.

+PRICES ARE NOT ONLY AFFECTED BY SUPPLY BUT THEY ARE A REASONABLY RELIABLE INDICATOR OF AVAILABILITY OF SUPPLIES. AT THE TURN OF THE YEAR WHOLESALE PRICES WERE STILL DROPPING AND IN THE REGION OF $5 300 PER 100 GRAMS NO DOUBT IN ANTICIPATION OF THE 1982 BUMPER CROP WHICH WAS HARVESTED IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.

+DRAMATIC SEIZURES PROBABLY ACCOUNTED FOR AN EQUALLY DRAMATIC RISE IN PRICES EARLIER THIS YEAR BUT NOW THE PRICE

IS DOWN TO ABOUT $3 400 PER 100 GRAMS, HE REMARKED.

TURNING TO HONG KONG'S TRACK RECORD IN SUPPRESSING NARCOTICS,

MORPHINE

MR JORDAN SAID, IN THE EARLY 70'S HONG KONG WAS A HEROIN MANUFACTURING CENTRE WITH WORLD-WIDE POTENTIAL MARKETS. BASE MADE FROM OPIUM IN THAILAND WAS SMUGGLED HERE, AT TIMES IN SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITIES BY THAI TRAWLERS.

+CONVERSION OF MORPHINE TO HEROIN TOOK PLACE BY AN ACETYLATION PROCESS IN HONG KONG LABORATORIES IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITIES TO PROVIDE FOR OUR THEN 100 000 ADDICTS AND TO MAKE FOR A LUCRATIVE EXPORT TRADE.+

/BUT THINGS