TNAG-0417-FCO40-463-Review-of-narcotics-problem-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 144

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The purpose of this paper is to provide a synopsis of the important items which arose during the discussions, particularly those carrying international implications.

Proposed Joint United Kingdom-Hong Kong-United States Liaison Group

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Undoubtedly the most important and far reaching matter to be advanced during the study group was a proposal made by Mr. Ingersoll of the American Delegation on 7th June during discussions about the trawler traffic between Thailand and Hong Kong. His proposal was that a Joint U.K.-H.K.-U.S. Liaison Group should be established to pool all intelligence about and to develop operations against the trawler traffic in the first instance, with the inference that if this proved to be of value, it might be extended to other areas of anti-drug activities later. The Americans understand however, that they will not be permitted to conduct operations in Hong Kong in the way they do in Laos, Thailand and elsewhere.

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In putting forward the proposal, Mr. Ingersoll quoted as an example a similar type of organisation covering the U.S., Canada and France which has been operative for some time and which, he reported, had achieved outstanding results in areas where little had been accomplished formerly. This analogy may not be strictly apposite since it is understood that the arrangements between these three countries are governed by a Protocol which inter alia permits the agents of one country to conduct field operations on the territory of the others. But the main point that Mr. Ingersoll was trying to illustrate appeared to be that with regular joint meetings for planning purposes coupled with a pooling of intelligence, much better results could be obtained than with informal liaison and unilateral action, particularly in the very difficult field of drug suppression.

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It is understood that the U.S.-Canadian-French arrangements operate on a two tier basis. On the one hand there is a policy

comittue consisting of the heads of agencies which meets roughly once every six months to review the intelligence and in the light of it to select targets for the next period ahead. It also assesses the results obtained since it last met. These meetings last about one day. Subordinate to the policy body there is an operations committee whose taskit is to pursue the directives of the policy committee by way of conducting investigations followed by operations. The members of this committee are heads of investigation units. Meetings are more frequent than is the case with the policy committee. It was suggested that such an organisation might be appropriate for a U.K.-H.K.-U.S. Liaison Group. On the face of it, it looks attractive enough, but it needs examination.

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