XN000022-1991-07-22 — Page 4

MONDAY, JULY 22, 1991

3

ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE REVIEW RELEASED

THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE HAVE ESTABLISHED PROCEDURES WITH THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN CHINA FOR THE SPEEDY OF INFORMATION ON CASES INVOLVING FIREARMS, DRUGS, SMUGGLING THEFTS.

WORKABLE EXCHANGE

AND CAR

SUCH ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE DURING 1990 WHEN THE MAIN CONCERN OF THE HONG KONG PUBLIC WAS THE OCCURRENCE OF A NUMBER OF CASES INVOLVING THE USE OF FIREARMS, A SPATE OF THEFTS OF VEHICLES INCIDENTS AND AN UPSURGE IN SMUGGLING ACTIVITIES BY SEA.

THIS WAS STATED BY COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, MR LI KWAN-HA, IN THE 1990 ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE REVIEW WHICH WAS OFFICIALLY RELEASED TODAY (MONDAY).

POINTING OUT THAT POLICE HAD DEVELOPED PROFESSIONAL LINKS WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES FOR SEVERAL YEARS, MR LI SAID THAT LIAISON MEETINGS HAD BEEN A REGULAR FEATURE AND WOULD CONTINUE AT NATIONAL, PROVINCIAL AND BORDER LEVEL.

TO TACKLE THE SMUGGLING PROBLEM, MR LI SAID THAT A TASK FORCE, FORMED WITH COMBINED RESOURCES OF SEVERAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, WOULD IN CONSULTATION WITH OVERSEAS AUTHORITIES THROUGH ESTABLISHED LINKS SUCH AS INTERPOL AND LIAISON GROUPS SEEK TO DETERMINE THE BEST METHODS TO COMBAT THE SITUATION.

"GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY MADE CHANGES TO THE IMPORT AND EXPORT ORDINANCE AND IT IS OUR INTENTION TO TAKE STRONG ENFORCEMENT ACTION ON LAND AND SEA.

"INCREASED EFFORTS WILL BE MADE TO EFFECT ARRESTS AND SEIZED CONTRABAND BEFORE THEY ARE LOADED ONTO SPEEDBOATS OR OTHER FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION OUT OF HONG KONG," HE ADDED.

ON LOCAL CRIME RATE, THE POLICE CHIEF SAID THAT IT WAS PLEASING TO NOTE THAT THE REPORTED CRIME RATE IN 1990 HAD REMAINED ABOUT THE SAME AS FOR 1980, WHICH WAS THE LOWEST IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES. THIS WAS OPPOSED TO AN INCREASED POPULATION AND THAT THE POLICE HAD BEEN ENCOURAGING MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CRIME, MR LI SAID.

+

THE FACT TO REPORT

MR LI, HOWEVER, STRESSED THAT THE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SERIES OF OPERATION LEVINGTON', WHICH STRIKED AT TRIADS, GANG MEMBERS ÅND OTHER CRIMINALS IN THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY OPERATED WOULD CONTINUE.

IN THE FIGHT AGAINST NARCOTICS, THE COMMISSIONER NOTED THAT THE FORCE HAD CONSOLIDATED ITS CO-OPERATIVE APPROACH TO INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRAFFICKING DURING 1990.

"HONG KONG HAS SIGNED BILATERAL AGREEMENTS WITH SEVERAL COUNTRIES TO FACILITATE CO-OPERATION IN INVESTIGATION SEIZURE OF DRUG-RELATED ASSETS,

AND IN THE

/"SINCE THE