XN000022-1991-01-27 — Page 7

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 1991

"APART FROM A RECORD SEIZURE OF 1,400 KILOGRAMS OF CANNABIS IN OCTOBER, THE DRUG FIGHTERS ALSO SEIZED 146 KILOGRAMS OF HEROIN, 69 KILOGRAMS OF OPIUM, 10 KILOGRAMS OF CANNABIS AND 21 KILOGRAMS CANNABIS RESIN IN OTHER RAIDS LAST YEAR, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

OF

ON THE ANTI-GAMBLING FRONT, POLICE LAST YEAR SEIZED ABOUT $2.7 MILLION TABLE MONEY AND BETTING SLIPS AMOUNTING TO $10.9 MILLION IN 1,205 RAIDS, AND ARRESTED 7,340 PEOPLE.

IN THEIR SUSTAINED EFFORTS AGAINST VICE ACTIVITIES, THE CRIME FIGHTERS MOUNTED 36,327 RAIDS AND ARRESTED 1,578 PEOPLE. A TOTAL OF 2,586 OBJECTIONABLE MAGAZINES AND

11,296 OBSCENE VIDEO TAPES WERE SEIZRD.

CREDIT CARD FRAUD SUCCESS FULLY DETECTED

A CREDIT CARD FRAUD INVOLVING THE LOSS OF NEARLY A MILLION DOLLARS AND 90 INNOCENT CARD HOLDERS HAS BERN SUCCESSFULLY DETECTED BY OFFICERS OF THE POLICE COMMERCIAL CRIME BUREAU (CCB) AFTER A YEAR OF DETAILED INVESTIGATION.

THE SUCCESSFUL SMASHING OF THE CARD FRAUD SYNDICATE, WHICH USED HIGHLY ORGANISED AND SOPHISTICATED METHODS, WAS A BREAKTHROUGH IN THE DETECTION OF SUCH CASES AND THE METHODS USED ARE STILL CONFIDENTIAL.

CCB DETECTIVES ARE ENCOURAGED THAT THEIR SUCCESS IN THE CASE MIGHT DETER OTHER CRIMINALS FROM USING SIMILAR METHODS.

THREE MEN AND ONE WOMAN INVOLVED IN THE FRAUDS PLACE WITHIN ONE MONTH ARE NOW BEHIND BARS.

-

ALL TAKING

"THE USERS OF THE CARDS WERE NOT BEING CARELESS AND THEY WERE COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON, OFFICER IN CHARGE OF THE CASE, SENIOR INSPECTOR IAN BARLOW, SAID,

"YET THE SYNDICATE SUCCEEDED IN RECEIVING PAYMENT FOR THE FRAUDULENT USE OF CARDS DURING THE BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME. BY THE TIME THE CASE CAME TO LIGHT SOME OF THE CARD HOLDERS HAD LEFT HONG KONG AND ONE WAS TRACED AS FAR AWAY AS FRANCE.

"THE METHOD USED WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO DETECT. THE SYNDICATE SPENT A GREAT AMOUNT OF TIME, MONEY AND EFFORT IN SETTING IT UP. THEY KNEW THEY STOOD TO MAKE A PHENOMENAL AMOUNT OF MONEY."

PAINSTAKING WORK BY CCB OFFICERS PAID OFF.

SYNDICATE

MEMBERS

WERE IDENTIFIED AND PUT OUT OF ACTION.

SEVERAL BANKS COMPLAINED ABOUT THE USE OF CREDIT CARDS ΤΟ DEFRAUD THEM, USING HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED METHODS AND THE CCB WAS SET ON THE TRAIL.

/"IT'S VERY