XN000022-1989-09-24 — Page 3

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1989

INSTEAD OF TAKING RISKS LAUNCH CREWS DEPEND ON THEIR SKILLS

A NEW UNIT HAS BEEN SET UF AT MARINE AND CONSOLIDATE INTELLIGENCE ON SMUGGLING

IDENTIFY SMUGGLING CRAFT. HEADQUARTERS TO COLLATE SYNDICATES.

"SMUGGLERS OPERATE

IN

GROUPS

DECOYS SHIELDING A BOAT LOADED WITH COUNTRABAND. BY UNLICENSED CITIZEN

RADIOS AND COMMUNICATIONS," ME COLSON SAID.

USING POSSIBLY TWO CRAFT AS THEY ARE ALL LINKED

BAND

THEY CAN

MONITOR

OUR

OF

WHERE BOATS

"IT'S IMPORTANT NOT TO TAKE RISK AND TO BE CONSTANTLY AWARE SAFETY ASPECTS. THERE WAS A FIRE IN A SHIPYARD LAST WEEK WERE BEING PREPARED FOR SMUGGLING.

ENGINE WAS OF THEIR OWN SITUATION LIKE WITHIN A SHORT

OUTBOARD "THEY WERE EMPTYING A FUEL TANK WHILE AN RUNNING AND A SPARK CAUSED A FIRE WHICH DESTROYED FIVE BOATS. IT IS CLEARLY VERY DANGEROUS TO GET NEAR TO A

WATER ACROSS THE ᎢᎻᎪᎢ .

SPREAD BURNING FUEL DISTANCE OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG YACHT CLUB.

то

CAPACITY OF UP TO 350

"SOME OF THE SPEED BOATS HAVE A FUEL GALLONS IN IMPROVISED AND VERY DANGEROUS TANKS."

MARINE

EAST LAUNCHES DOWN WITH

ANOTHER RECENT INCIDENT ATTENDED BY INVOLVED A BURNING SMUGGLERS' CRAFT, WHICH EVENTUALLY WENT ITS CARGO.

"FUEL WAS SLOPPING ABOUT IN THE BILGES CAUGHT FIRE AND HAD TO JUMP INTO THE SEA.

AND ONE OF THE CREW

WE ARE BOUND BY

"THERE IS A LOT OF FRUSTRATION IN THIS JOB. THE RULES OF SEAMANSHIP WHILE SMUGGLERS ARE RECKLESS, WITH EXPENDABLE CRAFT AND CREWS.

CREWS ARE

FRUSTRATED

BY

THE

BOOST TO

ARROGANCE

OF

"BUT ARRESTS ARE BEING MADE AND THAT IS A TREMENDOUS

LAUNCH WHEN SMUGGLERS WHO KNOW OUR LIMITATONS."

MORALE

STATISTICS ON ANTI-VICE ARRESTS IN AUGUST

* *

SUSTAINED POLICE ACTION AGAINST

DRUGS,

ILLEGAL

VICE ESTABLISHMENTS LED TO THE ARREST OF 1,556 PEOPLE IN THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY IN AUGUST.

GAMBLING AND 4.170 RAIDS

A POLICE SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (SUNDAY) MONTH, 210 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED IN 406 RAIDS ON HONG KONG ISLAND,

AND 368 PEOPLE PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED IN 3,389 RAIDS IN KOWLOON, ARRESTED IN 375 RAIDS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THAT DURING

THE

978

WERE

IN ADDITION