XN000022-1985-08-26 — Page 2

MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 1985

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GOVERNOR TO VISIT CHILDREN'S CENTRE

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, WILL VISIT THE SOCIAL WELFARE. DEPARTMENT'S CHUK YUEN RECEPTION CENTRE ON WEDNESDAY (AUGUST 28) AFTERNOON.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

YOU ARE WELCOME TO COVER THE VISIT TO THE CENTRE AT 1 LUNG FUNG STREET, WONG TAI SIN, KOWLOON.

THE GOVERNOR WILL ARRIVE AT THE CENTRE AT 4.10 PM AND MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD BE AT THE CENTRE 20 MINUTES EARLIER.

GIS OFFICERS WILL BE ON HAND TO ASSIST.

PASSPORT FORGERS HARD HIT ***

HONG KONG'S IMMIGRATION INVESTIGATORS HAVE BEEN CRACKING DOWN HARD ON FORGERS AND USERS OF FAKE PASSPORTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS.

+WE'RE WISE TO THE IR WAYS OF SHIFTING THEIR FORGING ACTIVITIES FROM DOCUMENTS OF ONE COUNTRY TO ANOTHER, AND ARE CONSTANTLY WATCHING OUT FOR THEM IN THIS TERRITORY, SAID CHIEF IMMIGRATION OFFICER, MR MAK KWAI-YUN, SPEAKING OF THE METHODS OF FORGERS.

+CLIENTS+ OF THE FORGERS GENERALLY ARE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, DRUGS TRAFFICKERS, NEW ARRIVALS FROM CHINA, AND, OF COURSE, LOCAL RESIDENTS SEEKING TO GO TO THOSE COUNTRIES, HE EXPLAINED.

THIS INTENSIFIED INVESTIGATIVE EFFORT HAS BROUGHT ABOUT A BIG INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PROSECUTIONS, RISING FROM SIX IN 1982, TO 33 IN 1983 AND 66 LAST YEAR, MR MAK, WHO HEADS THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATION SECTION, SAID.

FORGED PASSPORTS OFTEN INVOLVE PEOPLE OPERATING FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES WITH THE CONNIVANCE OF PEOPLE HERE, HE SAID.

LAST YEAR, HONG KONG BRITISH PASSPORTS WERE MOST COMMON AMONG THE FORGERIES, AND THERE WERE A FEW CASES IN WHICH GENUINE PASSPORTS BEARING SUBSTITUTED PHOTOGRAPHS WERE DETECTED AT VARIOUS CONTROL POINTS, AND REFERRED TO THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATION SECTION.

/EMPLOYING DIFFERENT