TNAG-0504-FCO40-569-Review-of-narcotics-problem-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 219

AIR MAIL

CONFIDENTIAL

G

COLONIAL SECRETARIAT,

Ref: (102) in SCR 4/1316/72 I

n. Wotton

HONG KONG,

n.

Hand UN Dept

cc.

16th January 1974

This letter is mostly little Jack Horner

but I should send an

Dear Andrew, acknowledgment

32/, Aes

Sir Harry Greenfield, President of the International Narcotics Control Board and Mr. E.J. Dittert, Secretary to the Board, visited Hong Kong during early December 1973. Sir Harry was only able to stay two days due to other commitments in India, but Mr. Dittert was able to extend his stay to five days. You may be interested in having a brief account of what took place and the reactions of our visitors for your record.

The

Sir Harry and Mr. Dittert were given comprehensive briefings at the Narcotics Bureau, Police Headquarters, by the Commissioner for Narcotics, the Chief Superintendent in charge of the Police Narcotics Bureau and the Assistant Commissioner of the Preventive Service. The Commissioner's briefing covered the whole spectrum of Hong Kong's narcotics problem - sources of supply; trafficking and transportation to Hong Kong; internal manufacturing, distribution and sale; leading to the enormous addict population we have here. re-organization being undertaken by the Commissioner was explained at some length with the measures we are taking, and intend to take in the future, to tackle and break the back of the narcotics problem in Hong Kong. The briefings of the Chief Superintendent of the Narcotics Bureau and the Assistant Commissioner of the Preventive Service dealt fully with the operational aspects of detecting illicit trafficking into and through Hong Kong; with detecting heroin manufacturing; and with detecting the various other processes involved in the unlawful trade following import right down to consumption at atreet level. Both took copious notes and asked many searching questions.

Our visitors had a meeting with the Commissioner of Police and with the Officer-in-Charge of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. They were particularly keen to find out the state of cooperation existing between ourselves and the Americans and were reassured to be told by the latter that it is of the highest order.

After Sir Harry's departure, Mr. Dittert spent a day with the Commissioner of Prisons visiting the two male Treatment Addiction Centres operated by the Prisons Department in which he displayed a keen interest.

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