XN000022-1986-01-09 — Page 4

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 1986

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CAMPAIGNS HAVING IMPACT ON HEROIN PROBLEM

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THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES ARE VIGOROUSLY PURSUING ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS AS WELL AS TREATMENT AND PREVENTION ACTIVITIES IN A BID TO FIGHT DRUG ABUSE IN THE TERRITORY, ACCORDING TO THE REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL BOARD (INCB) PUBLISHED IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA.

+CAMPAIGNS CONTINUE TO BE TARGETED AGAINST THE ABUSE OF HEROIN. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE CO-ORDINATED PROGRAMMES OF THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS (ACAN) ARE HAVING AN IMPACT ON THE HEROIN PROBLEM, THE REPORT SAID.

REFERRING TO THE 50-PAGE REPORT, COMMISSIONER FOR NARCOTICS, MR GORDON MORTIMER, WELCOMED THE FAVOURABLE COMMENTS MADE ON HONG KONG AND THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BY THE BOARD OF THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS IN COMBATING THE DRUG PROBLEM.

WITH REGARD TO THE INCB'S OBSERVATION THAT HONG KONG SERVED AS A TRANS-SHIPMENT POINT FOR HEROIN DESTINED FOR AUSTRALIA AND THE UNITED STATES, MR MORTIMER SAID THAT THE DOUBLE RISKS AND COST TO TRAFFICKERS OF HEROIN INTO HONG KONG, STORING IT AND SMUGGLING IT OUT AGAIN. MADE IT DOUBTFUL THAT HONG KONG WAS USED AS A TRANS-SHIPMENT POINT ON A LARGE SCALE,

HE POINTED OUT THAT MOST OF THE HEROIN OF SOUTHEAST ASIA ORIGIN WHICH WAS SMUGGLED INTO THE U.S. AND AUSTRALIA HAD NOT BEEN CONSIGNED FROM HONG KONG.

+CERTAINLY, ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN THESE TWO COUNTRIES, FROM TIME TO TIME, OF PERSONS SMUGGLING DRUGS FROM HONG KONG, BUT THE QUANTITIES INVOLVED WERE SMALL WHEN COMPARED WITH THE BULK QUANTITIES SEIZED HERE.

+THESE ARRESTS WERE OFTEN MADE AS A RESULT OF INFORMATION PROVIDED BY HONG KONG TO THE AUTHORITIES OVERSEAS, HE SAID.

REFERRING TO ANOTHER POINT RAISED IN THE REPORT, MR MORTIMER EXPLAINED THAT THERE WAS A HIGH DEGREE OF CO-OPERATION AND LIAISON BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OVERSEAS AS WELL AS IN CHINA AND THOSE IN HONG KONG.

+BOTH THE CHINESE AND HONG KONG CUSTOMS OFFICIALS ARE ALERT TO THE EXISTENCE OF THIS INDIRECT ROUTE AND ARRESTS OF SMUGGLERS USING THIS ROUTE HAD TAKEN PLACE IN CHINA AND IN HONG KONG,+ HE SAID.

HE ADDED THAT THE QUANTITIES SMUGGLED INTO HONG KONG BY THIS ROUTE WERE BELIEVED TO BE SMALL WHEN COMPARED WITH AMOUNTS SMUGGLED IN BY SEA AND BY AIR FROM THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE, WHERE THE BORDERS OF THAILAND, BURMA AND LAOS MET.