XN000022-1988-10-20 — Page 43

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1988

POLICE AWARE OF ILLEGAL GAMBLING RUSE

*

ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE USE OF ALL DISTRICT POLICE SQUADS

THE COMMISSIONER OF SOLUBLE PAPER BY ILLEGAL GAMBLING OPERATORS AND POLICE IS NOT AWARE OF ANY PROSECUTION HAVING FAILED BECAUSE EVIDENCE ON SOLUBLE PAPER WAS DESTROYED.

WHEN

REPLYING

THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON GEOFFREY BARNES, SAID

(THURSDAY) IN THE

COUNCIL TODAY LEGISLATIVE QUESTION FROM PROF THE HON POON CHUNG-KWONG.

THIS TO A

IMPORTANT FOR POLICE

MR BARNES SAID THAT CLEARLY IT WAS VERY OFFICERS CONDUCTING RAIDS AGAINST ILLEGAL GAMBLING TO GATHER EVIDENCE.

BE

"THIS CAN OFTEN BE DIFFICULT: FOR EXAMPLE MANY EXHIBITS CAN FLUSHED AWAY OR THROWN OUT OF WINDOWS," HE SAID.

MR BARNES SAID HE WAS AWARE OF RECENT PRESS COVERAGE OF A IN WHICH AN ILLEGAL GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENT WAS REPORTED TO SOLUBLE PAPER IN ITS GAMBLING OPERATIONS.

CASE

HAVE

USED

SEVERAL THE POLICE HAD INVESTIGATED YEARS WHERE ILLEGAL BETS WERE WRITTEN ON SUCH PAPER, WITHOUT TRACE IN WATER.

CASES

THE IN

WHICH

LAST FEW DISSOLVED

"IN ITSELF THIS IS NOT PERHAPS A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE OF OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY BY TRIADS," HE SAID.

"SOLUBLE PAPER HAS

BEEN

MANUFACTURED

COMMERCIALLY

THE USE

FOR MORE

IS

THAN TWENTY YEARS, HAS MANY PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE APPLICATIONS, AND READILY AVAILABLE IN HONG KONG,

"GIVEN ITS COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL USE THE GOVERNMENT HAS PLANS TO PLACE RESTRICTIONS ON THIS PRODUCT."

NO

DIFFICULTIES IN DRAFTING HIRE-PURCHASE LEGISLATION

* *

IN

THE ADMINISTRATION RECOGNISES THAT THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM

THIS SUBJECT RELATION TO HIRE-PURCHASE CONTRACTS AND THEREFORE KEEPS

THE HON PIERS JACOBS, UNDER CLOSE REVIEW, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (THURSDAY).

SAID TO CONTROL EXAMINED FROM TIME TO

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON MARTIN LEE, MR JACOBS THAT THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS A NECESSITY HIRE-PURCHASE BUSINESS IN HONG KONG HAD BEEN TIME IN SOME DEPTH.

"THE SUBJECT