XN000022-1985-09-30 — Page 10

MONDAY,

30, 1985

ALL THE FACTORS WHICH HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO HK'S PROSPERITY IN THE PAST ARE STILL PRESENT. THE ECONOMY IS HEALTHY, OUR CURRENCY IS STABLE AND INFLATION IS LOW. A PROGRAMME OF INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE CONTINUES SOCIAL AS WELL AS ECONOMIC,

THE AGREEMENT IS A VITALLY IMPORTANT FACTOR, IT HAS REMOVED MUCH OF THE UNCERTAINTY WHICH SERIOUSLY AFFECTED CONFIDENCE AND

INVESTMENT BETWEEN 1982 AND 1985. IT PROVIDES A BINDING COMMITMENT ON THE PART OF BOTH GOVERNMENTS TO FOSTER THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HK. WE ARE ALL VERY CONFIDENT THAT THIS COMMITMENT WILL BE FULFILLED THERE IS A CLEAR. INTERNATIONAL PLEDGE TO THAT END AND IT IS SELF-EVIDENTLY IN THE INTERESTS OF ALL CONCERNED TO MAKE IT WORK.

SUCCESSFUL YEAR IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS

*****.

AS A RESULT OF THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE BUMPER OPIUM CROP IN THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE DURING 1984, THERE WAS AN ABUNDANT SUPPLY OF ILLICIT NARCOTICS IN HONG KONG AND THE WHOLESALE PRICE OF NO. 3 HEROIN SLIPPED TO ITS LOWEST LEVEL FOR MANY YEARS.

NOTWITHSTANDING THESE ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES, A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PERSONS OF ALL AGES NEWLY REPORTED FOR INVOLVEMENT IN DRUGS WAS DETECTED AND SEIZURES OF OPIATE DRUGS DOUBLED THE AMOUNT SEIZED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

THIS IS REVEALED IN THE HONG KONG NARCOTICS REPORT FOR 1904 PUBLISHED RECENTLY BY THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS (ACAN). THE REPORT SAID THAT THERE WAS A DECREASE OF 21 PER CENT IN THE NUMBER OF YOUNG PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 21 NEWLY REPORTED TO THE CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ABUSE IN 1984 COMPARED WITH 1983. FOR PERSONS OF ALL AGES, THE DECREASE WAS 15 PER CENT. THIS WAS THE FIRST DECREASE RECORDED SINCE 1980.

THE POLICE AND CUSTOMS OFFICERS WERE PRAISED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF ACAN, PROFESSOR GERALD CHOA, IN THE FOREWORD FOR THEIR UNRELENTING EFFORTS IN INTERCEPTING SUPPLIES OF ILLICIT DRUGS AND IN NEUTRALISING DRUG TRAFFICKING AND MANUFACTURING SYNDICATES.

THEIR EFFORTS RESULTED IN THE RECORD SEIZURES OF OVER

1 300 KILOGRAMS OF OPIATE DRUGS, MAINLY HEROIN BASE, DURING THE YEAR, WHICH MARKED A 92.3 PER CENT INCREASE OVER THE QUANTITIES SEIZED IN 1983. AMONG THE DRUGS SEIZED, HEROIN BASE SHOWED A DRAMATIC INCREASE OVER 1983, INDICATIVE OF AN ACCELERATING TREND WHICH STARTED IN 1978.

APART FROM THE RECORD DRUG SEIZURES, THREE MAJOR DRUG SMUGGLING SYNDICATES AND SIX MAJOR MANUFACTURING SYNDICATES WERE NEUTRALISED IN 1984.

/DURING 1984.

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