XN000022-1990-08-03 — Page 16

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3,

1990

15

ON OVERSEAS COURSE

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POLICE DETECTIVE SERGEANT

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DETECTIVE SERGEANT EDDIE HUI SAI-CHU WILL

MAKE POLICE FORCE TRAINING HISTORY WHEN HE SETS FOOT ON AMERICAN SOIL LATER THIS WEEK FOR A FINANCIAL ASSET RRMOVAL COURSE ORGANISED BY THE U.S. DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY (DEA).

MR HUI, WHO IS NOW WITH THE THE POLICE NARCOTICS BUREAU'S

FINANCIAL INVESTIGATION GROUP (FIG), IS THE FIRST-EVER JUNIOR POLICE OFFICER TO BE OFFERED SUCH AN OVERSEAS TRAINING OPPORTUNITY WHICH IS NORMALLY RESERVED FOR INSPECTORATE OFFICERS.

MR HUI, TOGETHER WITH A SENIOR INSPECTOR FROM THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT, WILL ATTEND THE TWO-WEEK DEA COURSE WHICH WILL BE HELD IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, TOGETHER WITH 30 OR SO OFFICERS, WHOM ARE FROM VARIOUS U.S. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.

MOST OF

APART FROM FAMILIARISING HIMSELF WITH THE U.S. FINANCIAL SYSTEMS AND INVESTIGATION TECHNIQUES THROUGH THE DEA COURSE, MR HUI IS ALSO TASKED TO UPDATE HIS FOREIGN COUNTERPARTS ON THE LATEST ACTION TAKEN BY THE FORCE TO TACKLE DRUG TRAFFICKERS.

AND IN THE PROCESS, MR HUI HOPES ANY POSSIBLE SOURCES OF MISUNDERSTANDING FOR FUTURE CO-OPERATION WILL BE ELIMINATED.

"MISUNDERSTANDINGS DID OCCUR OCCASIONALLY IN THE PAST ARISING FROM THE FACT THAT THEY WERE EITHER UNAWARE OF THE LATEST HAPPENINGS IN THE TERRITORY, OR NOT UPDATED ON OUR FINANCIAL AND BANKING PRACTICES WITH REGARD TO ASSET TRACING INVESTIGATIONS.

"I WILL ALSO TELL THEM THAT BANKS IN HONG KONG HAVE BEEN VERY CO-OPERATIVE WITH THE FORCE IN TRACKING DOWN ALLEGED DRUG ASSETS AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING ITS UTMOST TO OBLITERATE ALL POSSIBLE SOFTSPOTS IN OUR SYSTEMS THAT MIGHT BE EXPLOITED BY MONEY LAUNDERERS, MR HU1 SAID.

H

"I'LL TRY TO CONVEY TO THEM THAT HONG KONG IS NOT A MAJOR MONEY LAUNDERING CENTRE, AS OFTEN ALLEGED. HOWEVER, MONEY LAUNDERING OF ILLICIT GAINS IS BOUND TO EXIST IN A FINANCIAL CENTRE LIKE HONG KONG," HE ADDED.

MR HUI, WHO HAS BEEN INVITED TO GIVE A PRESENTATION ON THE FORCE'S ANTI-DRUG EFFORTS, WILL ALSO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE EXISTING COMMUNICATION CHANNELS WITH U.S. COUNTERPARTS IN THE

GLOBAL WAR AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKERS.

AS FOR THE TRAINING ITSELF, MR HUI NOTED THAT AS A MEMBER OF THE RELATIVELY NEW FIG, THERE SHOULD BE A LOT FOR HIM ΤΟ LEARN FROM U.S. OFFICERS WHO HAD BEEN ENGAGED IN ASSET CHASING WORK FOR MANY YEARS.

FIG OFFICIALLY BEGAN OPERATION IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR FOLLOWING THE ENACTMENT OF THE DRUG TRAFFICKING (RECOVERY OF PROCEEDS) ORDINANCE.

/THE HEAD