XN000022-1983-01-07 — Page 2

FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1983

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BIG RISE IN DRUG SEIZURES

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THE BUMPER HARVESTS IN THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE AND THE INCREASED SUPPLIES FROM THE GOLDEN CRESCENT, RESULTED IN A 75 PER CENT INCREASE IN DRUG SEIZURES IN 1982 OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR. ADDING EXTRA PRESSURE AND BURDEN ON LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS AND EXCISE, MR K.S. TONG SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

REVIEWING THE NARCOTICS SITUATION IN 1982, MR TONG TOLD THE LIONS CLUB OF HONG KONG EAST THAT LAST YEAR POLICE AND CUSTOMS OFFICERS SEIZED 560 KG OF DRUGS, 40 PER CENT OF WHICH WAS HEROIN BASE.

+MORE THAN 10 000 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED FOR DRUG TAKING OR TRAFFICKING, AND SOME 2 000 OF THEM WERE PROSECUTED FOR INVOLVEMENT IN SERIOUS DRUG TRAFFICKING ACTIVITIES, HE SAID.

DURING THE YEAR, THERE WAS ABUNDANT DRUG SUPPLY IN HONG KONG DESPITE HEIGHTENED EFFORTS BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. THE INCREASE WAS MAINLY DUE TO THE BUMPER HARVESTS IN THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, AND THE EXPANSION OF OPIUM POPPY PLANTATIONS BY THE LOCAL PEOPLE.

MR TONG POINTED OUT THAT THE TRAFFICKERS, CONSTANTLY CHANGED THE IR SMUGGLING ROUTES AND TACTICS TO EVADE DÉTECTION.

LAST FEBRUARY, THE CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME SEIZED LARGE QUANTITIES OF DRUGS FROM BOTH CONTAINERIZED CARGO, AND ON BOARD A CONTAINER VESSEL.

IN THE TWO OPERATIONS, 74 KG OF HEROIN BASE WERE FOUND HIDDEN IN A PAINT-SPRAYING AIR COMPRESSOR IMPORTED FROM SINGAPORE WHILE 18 KG OF HEROIN BASE AND FOUR KG OF DEHYDRATED OPIUM WERE SE IZED ON BOARD THE CONTAINER SHIP ZIM SINGAPORE+, IN JUNE, CUSTOMS INVESTIGATING OFFICERS SEIZED 38 KG OF HEROIN BASE CONCEALED IN A CONSIGNMENT OF RICE FLOUR FROM THAILAND.

+THE CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT IS CLOSELY SURVEYING ACTIVITIES INVOLVING THE USE OF CONTAINER SHIPS FOR DRUG SMUGGLING. THE SERVICE IS STRENGTHENING THE NECESSARY MANPOWER AND INSTALLING EQUIPMENT TO CRACK DOWN ON THESE CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES, HE SAID.

LAST YEAR, THE POLICE AND CUSTOMS SMASHED 13 HEROIN LABORATORIES IN WHICH LARGE QUANTITIES OF FINISHED PRODUCTS, RAW MATERIALS, HEROIN BASE IN LIQUID FORM, AND SOPHISTICATED EQUIPMENT WERE FOUND.

WHEN RAIDING TWO DRUG LABORATORIES IN JUNE AND JULY LAST YEAR THEY DISCOVERED HEROIN BASE IN LIQUID FORM.

+IT INDICATES THAT TRAFFICKERS ARE USING SCIENTIFIC METHODS TO CONVERT SOLID HEROIN BASE INTO LIQUID FORM TO FACILITATE SMUGGLING, SEIZED EQUIPMENT INCLUDED INDUSTRIAL USE PURPOSE-BUILT OVENS, MICRO-WAVE OVENS, MINCERS, AND BLENDERS.

+WE HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT SINCE HEROIN BASE WAS FIRST DISCOVERED IN 1978, THE METHOD OF HEROIN MANUFACTURE HAS ENTERED INTO A NEW ERA, MARKED BY THE USE OF SOPHISTICATED EQUIPMENT TO REPLACE PRIMITIVE TOOLS OF A FEW YEARS AGO. THIS DEVELOPMENT ENABLES THE TRAFFICKERS TO PRODUCE DRUGS IN BULK SPEEDILY, MR TONG SAID.

/+THE GOLDEN

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