XN000022-1989-10-11 — Page 11

10

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1989

CUSTOMS WORK MORE SOPHISTICATED IN 1990'S

**

THE

1990'S

MUCH IS A

CUSTOMS WORK IN BETTER EQUIPPED AND WELL INFORMED SERVICE CAUSING

SOPHISTICATED,

MORE

LESS INCONVENIENCE

TO THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC AT LARGE BUT MORE LIKELY TO CATCH SMUGGLERS, OF DANGEROUS DRUGS IN PARTICULAR,

THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS AND EXCISE, MR PATRICK WILLIAMSON, CLUB OF SAID THIS TODAY (WEDNESDAY) AT A LUNCH MEETING OF THE ROTARY KOWLOON WEST.

AIRPORT, HE SAID, THE MOST IF HONG KONG WAS TO BUILD A NEW

IN 1999 OBVIOUS CHANGE ONE WOULD NOTICE ON RE-ENTERING THE TERRITORY

OFFICERS AND THE WOULD BE THE COMPARATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF CUSTOMS FEW SUITCASES THEY OPENED.

BY

THEN

CUSTOMS

WOULD

RECEIVE

AN

HE SAID HE BELIEVED THAT ADVANCE PASSENGER MANIFEST FOR ALL FLIGHTS, SO THEY SHOULD HAVE A GOOD IDEA WHOM THEY WANTED TO TALK TO.

X-RAYED AND

OUR

COLLEAGUES

"ALL CASES, AND FOR THAT MATTER AIRCARGO, WILL BE

HAVE

ALERTS FROM RECEIVED 'SNIFFED'. WE WILL ALSO OVERSEAS ABOUT ANY SUSPICIOUS PERSONS ON THE FLIGHT.

THEREFORE NOT

BE NECESSARY

FOR US TO STOP

AND

"IT WILL QUESTION NEARLY SO MANY INCOMING PASSENGERS.

NOT HAVE HAD ΤΟ

OUR INCREASE "THIS WILL MEAN THAT WE WILL

WHICH IS STAFF NUMBERS IN PROPORTION TO THE INCREASE IN PASSENGERS

INCREASES PREDICTED FOR JUST AS WELL WHEN YOU BEAR IN MIND THE HUGE AIR TRAFFIC,' HE SAID.

MR

11

WILLIAMSON SAID

SMUGGLERS

PARTICULARLY BECOMING MORE SOPHISTICATED AND THE CUSTOMS HAD TO

AVAILABLE RESOURCES ALL THE MAKE USE OF INTELLIGENCE AND FQUIPMENT.

NOW

OF DRUGS WERE DO THE SAME AND EXPERIENCE,

SAID MR WILLIAMSON ON EXPERIENCE, то AFFORD

ITS STAFF PROPORTIONATELY INCREASE TRAVELLERS AND THE VOLUME OF CARGO CONTINUED TO INCREASE.

THE CUSTOMS COULD NOT AS THE NUMBER OF

HE SAID WHILE THE CUSTOMS COULD NOT EXPECT TO CONTINUE TO OPEN EXPERIENCED OFFICERS A FIXED NUMBER OF SUITCASES, IT HAD TO USE MORE TO PICK THE MORE SUSPECT ONES.

"THIS IS NOT EASY BUT IT IS THE ONLY

REALISTIC

APPROACH, "

HE

SAID.

MR WILLIAMSON SAID INTELLIGENCE WAS GENERAL AND SPECIFIC SMUGGLING METHODS AND SMUGGLERS.

NOT JUST INFORMATION ON

/"WE NEED