0003160 G.F. 316
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unlawful heroin manufacture to take place. Acetic anhydride is produced in enormous quantitios in America, in the industrialised countries of Western Europe and in Japan, American output alone being about 700,000 tons per year. Compared with its legitimate uses the amount of acetic anhydride diverted for illicit heroin manu .acture is miniscule. For this reason alone, any attempt to control or monitor the movement of the chemical would almost certainly be ineffective. It is suggested, however, that a scientific examination should be made to ascertain whether it would be possible to adulterate acetic anhydride in some way to render it useless for the heroin acetylation process while at the same time leaving it unimpaired for lawful industrial purposes. This may be a suitable project to be undertaken by the Laboratory of the United Nations Division of Narcotic Drugs in Geneva and could be pursued on this basis in the first instance.
Conclusion and Summary
33.
This report should be read in conjunction with 'The Problem of Narcotic Drugs in Hong Kong, Paper Two International Considerations', and in particular with the Summary of Recommend- ations contained at paragraph 49 of that paper. In the light of my visits to Burma, Laos and Thailand nothing arose which in my view would necessitate any of those recommendations being with- drawn or altered, but the approaches suggested to the Governments of Burma, Thailand and Laos at (b), (c) and (d) of paragraph 49 will probably require modification as outlined above to ensure that they achieve the desired effect and not the opposite. A number of items have arisen since paper two was written in December 1972 and as a result of my discussions in Burma, Laos and Thailand which are summarised below for the consideration of Her Majesty's Government :-
(a) to examine the desirability of following up any
approach made to the Government of Burma (and by implication to the Governments of Laos and Thailand) in London, or at the United Nations, or both, at an appropriate opportunity either publicly or privately. (Paragraph 9).
(b) To decide as soon as possible the attitude to be taken towards a joint Anglo-American examination of the opium monopoly-preemptive buy concept as it would appear likely that the United States may raise this with the British Government sometime soon.
(Paragraphs 20 and 28. See also paragraph 49 (i) of paper two.)
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