XN000022-1994-04-15 — Page 11

FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 1994

ASIA BENEFITS FROM HK ANTI-DRUG EXPERIENCE

* * * *

HONG KONG IS A FOCAL POINT IN ASIA FOR STUDY TOURS AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES ON ALL ASPECTS OF DRUG ABUSE AND TRAFFICKING, THE COMMISSIONER FOR NARCOTICS, MR ALASDAIR SINCLAIR, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY) IN LONDON.

OF

HE WAS SPEAKING TO THE LONDON DIPLOMATS GROUP OF QUAKER PEACE

HONG KONG'S AND SERVICE, ILLUSTRATING HOW

EXPERIENCE

BE COULD

BENEFIT TO ITS NEIGHBOURS.

MR SINCLAIR CITED MONEY LAUNDERING AS AN EXAMPLE.

WAS

THE FIRST PLACE

AHEAD OF JAPAN AND SINGAPORE, HONG KONG IN ASIA TO ENACT LEGISLATION ON MONEY LAUNDERING IN 1989.

"AS THE ONLY JURISDICTION WITH SEVERAL YEARS' EXPERIENCE OF PLACED TO FIGHTING MONEY LAUNDERING IN ASIA, WE FEEL WE ARE UNIQUELY CONTRIBUTE PRACTICAL ADVICE,' HE SAID.

M

THE

"OUR POLICE FORCE RUNS A COURSE ON FINANCIAL INVESTIGATION EVERY YEAR FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS FROM SEVERAL COUNTRIES," COMMISSIONER NOTED.

DRUG REGISTRY OF

WAS

SET Up

ABUSE (CRDA) IN 1976

Th

THE RECEIVED

L

HONG KONG'S CENTRAL COMPUTERISED DATABASE WHICH CONFIDENTIAL REPORTS ON DRUG ABUSERS FROM GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND

PRACTITIONERS, AND FORMED A FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE POLICIES, HE ADDED.

MEDICAL

SOLID

"FEW OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE SUCH A VALUABLE SOURCE OF INFORMATION MR SINCLAIR AND WE BELIEVE IT MAY BE WITHOUT PARALLEL IN THE WORLD," SAID.

"WE HAVE BEEN PLEASED TO CO-OPERATE WITH OUR ASIAN NEIGHBOURS IN HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND OUR CRDA SYSTEM.

"MACAU IS STARTING ITS OWN CENTRAL REGISTRY, CHINA IS ACTIVELY EXPLORING THE PRACTICALITIES. SO IS BRUNEI. AND WE UNDERSTAND MALAYSIA, THAILAND AND MYANMAR (BURMA) ARE ALSO INTERESTED," HE SAID.

TURNING TO DRUG ANALYSIS, HE SAID THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

AS A LABORATORY WAS RECOGNISED

REGIONAL TRAINING CENTRE FOR THE TECHNIQUE.

"LAST YEAR, THE UNITED NATIONS INTERNATION DRUG CONTROL

SENT FOUR PROGRAMME (UNDCP)

SCIENTISTS, ALL FROM CHINA, ΤΟ OUR GOVERNMENT LABORATORY FOR THREE MONTHS' TRAINING, HE SAID.

MR SINCLAIR ALSO DISCLOSED THAT THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION HONG KONG AND UNDCP WOULD BE JOINTLY SPONSORING A TRAINING COURSE IN LATER IN THE YEAR ON THE PREVENTION OF DRUG ABUSE AND HIV INFECTION.

/"BY SHARING