XN000022-1983-05-23 — Page 6

MONDAY, MAY 23, 1983

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FIRM ACTION TAKEN AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKING

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THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, WHICH IS ADVISED BY THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS, ÍS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO STOPPING THE ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF DRUGS INTO HONG KONG AND EVENTUALLY TO ERADICATING DRUG ABUSE FROM THE COMMUNITY, THE COMMISSIONER FOR NARCOTICS, MR GORDON MORTIMER SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED SHIPBROKERS ON THE SUBJECT OF +NARCOTICS AND THE SEA+.

+THE MAIN DRUG OF ABUSE IN HONG KONG IS HEROIN+, MR MORTIMER POINTED OUT.

+OF THE 11 736 DRUG ABUSERS REPORTED TO THE CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ABUSE LAST YEAR, 96.1 PER CENT ABUSED HEROIN, 2.4 PER CENT SMOKED OPIUM AND 1.5 PER CENT ABUSED OTHER DRUGS,+ HE SAID.

HE SAID THAT WHILE THE EXACT NUMBER OF ADDICTS IN HONG KONG WAS NOT KNOWN, THE COMPUTERISED CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ABUSE

INDICATED THE NUMBER TO BE ABOUT 45 000.

THE ADDICTS, HE ADDED, DEPEND THEIR SUPPLIES OF HEROIN MAINLY ON THE PRODUCTION OF THE BORDER AREAS OF BURMA AND THAILAND, SUPPLEMENTED AT TIMES BY SUPPLIES FROM SOUTH WEST ASIA.

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+THE OVERAL STRATEGY FOR COMBATTING DRUG ABUSE IN HONG KONG HAS FOUR MAIN ELEMENTS LAW ENFORCEMENT, TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION, PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY, AND INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION, MR MORTIMER SAID.

+THE INTERDICTION OF SUPPLIES OF ILLICIT DRUGS ENTERING HONG KONG IS A VITAL PART OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PROGRAMME,+ HE SAID.

+SO FAR THIS YEAR OVER 200 KILOGRAMMES OF ILLICIT OPIATE DRUGS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SEIZED, MOST OF WHICH REACHED HONG KONG BY SEA, COMPARED WITH AROUND 550 KILOGRAMMES OF OPIATE DRUGS SEIZED FROM ALL SOURCES LAST YEAR AND 300 KILOGRAMMES IN 1981, + HE POINTED OUT.

THE TASK OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN INTERDICTING ILLICIT DRUG SUPPLIES IS FORMIDABLE, HE ADDED.

THIS IS BECAUSE HONG KONG IS A FREE PORT WITH A MINIMUM OF CUSTOMS FORMALITIES AND TRADE CONTROLS. EACH YEAR SOME 11 200 OCEAN-GOING VESSELS PUT INTO HONG KONG. WITH REGARD TO SMALLER VESSELS, THE INDENTED COASTLINE AND LONELY ISLETS PROVIDE INNUMERABLE PLACES FOR SMUGGLERS TO LAND AND CONCEAL ILLICIT DRUGS FOR COLLECTION AT SOME FUTURE DATE, HE EXPLAINED.

/HOWEVER,