XN000022-1992-07-15 — Page 20

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1992

HE SAID IF THE CIRCUMSTANCES JUSTIFYING THE NEED FOR THESE PROVISIONS WERE TO CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY, THEN THE LAW IN THIS RESPECT WOULD BE REVIEWED.

"FOR EXAMPLE, THE CLOSURE OF KAI TAK UPON THE OPENING OF THE NEW AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK WOULD, NO DOUBT, PROMPT SUCH A REVIEW,

먀 MR WILSON SAID.

0

SUSTAINED EFFORTS TO FIGHT SMUGGLING

* * * * *

THE

ANTI-SMUGGLING

TASK FORCE WILL CONTINUE TO EXPLORE NEW OPERATIONAL INITIATIVES AGAINST THE SMUGGLERS WHILE ADDITIONAL LEGISLATIVE MEASURES ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION TO KEEP UP THE MOMENTUM OF EFFORTS TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR

SECURITY, MR ALISTAIR

ASPREY, WHEN REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON MRS SELINA CHOW IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

HE SAID THE OPERATIONAL INITIATIVES INCLUDED THE RECENT DESTRUCTION OF A LOADING RAMP USED BY SMUGGLERS NEAR SAI KUNG AND THE SETTING UP OF A BOOM IN TOLO HARBOUR.

THE LEGISLATIVE MEASURES UNDER CONSIDERATION INCLUDE MAKING MAJOR SMUGGLING OFFENCES INDICTABLE IN ADDITION ΤΟ BEING SUMMARY OFFENCES AND INCREASING THE PENALTIES FOR THE OPERATORS OF UNLICENSED SAMPANS WHO OFTEN ACT AS LOOKOUT BOATS IN SMUGGLING.

ALSO, THE GOVERNMENT IS CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY OF

*

ADDITIONAL CONTROL ON "CHUNG-FEIS" THE MEDIUM-SIZED SPEEDBOATS NORMALLY POWERED BY TWO 300 HP ENGINES, HE ADDED.

"WE SHALL ALSO MAINTAIN CLOSE LIAISON WITH CHINA. SUSTAINED ACTION AGAINST THE SMUGGLERS BOTH IN HONG KONG AND IN CHINA IS LIKELY TO BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS OF CURTAILING SMUGGLING, MR ASPREY SAID.

NOTING THAT THERE HAS BEEN A CONSIDERABLE DROP IN SMUGGLING ACTIVITIES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA IN RECENT MONTHS, MR ASPREY SAID OVER 1,400 SPEEDBOAT SIGHTINGS WERE RECORDED A MONTH AT THE PEAK OF SMUGGLING ACTIVITIES IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH LAST YEAR.

THIS COMPARES WITH AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 130 SIGHTINGS IN EACH OF THE PAST TWO MONTHS, HE SAID.

SINCE IT WAS SET UP IN FEBRUARY 1991, THE ANTI-SMUGGLING TASK HAS ACHIEVED THE ARREST OF 176 PERSONS, AND THE SEIZURE OF 100 VESSELS AND GOODS WORTH $42.3 MILLION.

FORCE

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