XN000022-1983-01-07 — Page 3

FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1953

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+THE GOLDEN CRESCENT ADJOINING PAKISTAN, AFGHANISTAN AND IRAN WAS ANOTHER DRUG SUPPLY SOURCE CAUSING CONCERN, SAID MR TONG.

+IN THE PAST, ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF OPIUM AND FINISHED MARIJUANA PRODUCTS WERE SMUGGLED INTO HONG KONG FROM THE GOLDEN CRESCENT. LAST YEAR, DRUGS FROM THIS SOURCE INCREASED NOT ONLY IN QUANTITY BUT ALSO IN TYPES, INCLUDING HEROIN AND HEROIN BASE. ABOUT 30 PER CENT OF THE 300 KG OF DRUGS SEIZED CAME FROM THE GOLDEN CRESCENT — MOST OF IT OPIUM.

+THERE HAS BEEN A MARKED INCREASE IN MARIJUANA SMUGGLED IN FROM THE PHILIPPINES. THE PHILIPPINES IS NOW BECOMING A MAJOR SUPPLY SOURCE OF MARIJUANA TO HONG KONG MOST OF IT BEING SMUGGLED IN THROUGH CARGOES OR MAIL PARCELS.+

TRAFFICKERS CONTINUED TO USE CIRCUITOUS ROUTE TACTICS. DRUGS WERE FIRST SENT TO NON-DRUG PRODUCING COUNTRIES OF WHICH CUSTOMS

IS LESS SUSPICIOUS, BEFORE BEING SMUGGLED INTO HONG KONG.

IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES HAD, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, RECEIVED INFORMATION THAT THERE WERE AT LEAST TWO SYNDICATES EMPLOYING DEEP-SEA TRAWLERS TO SMUGGLE IN DRUGS. IN APRIL, CUSTOMS SEIZED 26 KG OF HEROIN AND HEROIN BASE FROM A DRUG LABORATORY, AND IN JUNE, THE POLICE FOUND 37 KG OF HEROIN BASE IN A SUITCASE" ABANDONED ON A VACANT SITE AT ABERDEEN. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THESE DRUGS HAD BEEN SMUGGLED IN BY DEEP-SEA TRAWLERS.

LAST DECEMBER THAI AUTHORITIES SEIZED FROM A HONG KONG-BOUND DEEP-SEA TRAWLER 85 KG OF HEROIN BASE, DURING THE OPERATION, A TRAFFICKER WAS SHOT DEAD WHILE RESISTING ARREST. THE THAI AUTHORITIES BELIEVED THAT PART OF THE DRUGS HAD BEEN THROWN OVERBOARD.

+ALL THIS POINTS TO THE FACT THAT DEEP-SEA TRAWLERS ARE ONCE AGAIN BEING USED AS A TOOL FOR SMUGGLING, HE SAID.

ONLY 14 BODY-CONCEALMENT' CASES WERE FOUND LAST YEAR, OF WHICH 10 CASES WERE REPORTED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE YEAR, +WE BELIEVE THAT THERE HAS BEEN A GRADUAL DECREASE IN THE USE OF THIS MODUS OPERANDT DUE TO TIGHTENED CHECKS ON INCOMING VISITORS AND AMENDMENT TO EXISTING LEGISLATION, HE SAID.

INTELLIGENCE INDICATED THAT SMUGGLING IN SMALL QUANTITIES HAS BEEN REPLACED BY BULK SHIPMENTS.

+IN 1982, MANY OF THE SEIZURES WERE FOUND CONCEALED IN MACHINES, PARTS OF MACHINES DEEP-SEA TRAWLERS AND CONTAINERIZED CARGOES, MR TONG SAID.

MR TONG PREDICTS THAT THERE WILL BE ANOTHER BUMPER HARVEST IN THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE THIS YEAR.

+LAW ENFORCERS, THEREFORE, MUST MAINTAIN VIGILANCE TO SUPPRESS THE UNSCRUPULOUS ACTIVITES OF THE DRUG TRAFFICKERS. CUSTOMS OFFICERS IN THE COMING YEAR WILL BE SEVERELY TESTED AS TRAFFICKERS KEEP CHANGING THEIR TACTICS, HE SAID.