TNAG-0416-FCO40-462-Review-of-narcotics-problem-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 90

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香港總督府

SCR 4/1316/721

Для пилл

SECRET

21

JUN 1773

I+KIL 19/

GOVERNMENT HOUSE

HONG KONG

24 May 1973

92

SEAD

(not read-copy kept)

Ms 4/6.

Thank you for your letter of 26 April about narcotics. I am glad to find that, although the Whitehall discussion of Rolph's background papers took place before they had had the report of his visit, we are by and large at one. In particular, Rolph advised that there was perhaps more scope for bilateral action than had at first appeared likely. But this point seems to have been taken and I hope that we can act on it.

Trawlers

2.

On the trawler traffic the only real answer is in the long run for the Thais, supported as may be necessary by BNDD and others, to cut it off at source. Anything that we can do diplomatically alone or in concert with the Americans to get action on this front would be very valuable. We had another large seizure off Tsuen Wan the other day when we caught the complete cargo of a Thai trawler from a junk to which it had been transferred. But for one caught many get through. Although surveillance would obviously be good in principle we see very great practical problems about doing it satisfactorily even on a selective basis.

Once away from Thailand the trawlers stick pretty closely to the coast, and to shadow them with ships and aircraft would be difficult, and probably beyond the resources of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. There is too, of course, the possibility of a clash with the Chinese. Nevertheless we are wondering whether something could be done by way of patrols, which might have a deterrent effect in the areas where the transfers from trawler to junk take place. If on examination here this idea seems worth taking further I will write again.

LAST

Q

(53)

92

K.M. Wilford Esq, CMG,

Foreign & Commonwealth Office,

LONDON, SW1.

SECRET

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