TNAG-0505-FCO40-570-Review-of-narcotics-problem-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 77

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each of the countries in the region establishing some sort of central Narcotics

a matter also touched upon by the Ad Hoc Committee.

Bureau

(iii) Overlapping initiatives in the Far East

Rolph expressed concern that a meeting organised by the Colombo Plan Drug Adviser in Bangkok at the end of July, to discuss drug law enforcement and other narcotics matters, arpeared to clash very badly with the meeting of the Heads of operational drug enforcement agencies, recommended by the Ad Hoc Committee, which was to be

The DEA held under the UN auspices in Bangkok at the beginning of September.

had also heard about this and shared Rolph's and my concern that the useful initiative of the UN should be rut in jeopardy by the activities of the Colombo Plan Drug Adviser. DEA officials a peared to hold no brief for the Colombo Plan activity, but were unprepared to accept any commitment to limit the activities of the Colombo Plan. They clearly regarded this as a matter for the State Department (see para. 17 ).

(iv) Acetic Anhydride

Rolph informed the meeting that Hong Kong was proposing to introduce a Bill

I to prevent the trans-shirment of acetic anhydride through Hong Kong. reported that I had followed up the question, which had been raised at the previous meeting, of the possibility of adulterating acetic anhydride in some way

nd that it seemed impractical. It was thought that the steps that Ilong Kong proposed to take were all that could be done in the circumstances, and that the matter need not be rursued any further. (There was a report that the heroin laboratories were not functioning in Burma because of a shortage of acetic anhydride.)

(v) Surveillance Devices

I reported that I had followed up the technical possibilities of getting a surveill nce device aboard a trawler. But in view of the decline in the trawler traffic and the practical difficulty of fixing a device, it was concluded that this possibility, for the time being, need not be considered further.

(vi) P.R.C.

The UK and the US reported that consideration had been given to making bi-lateral approaches to the People's Republic of China, but that it had been concluded that there was nothing to be gained by so doing.

(vii) Syndicate Penetration

Rolph reported that they had not followed up the idea of a grand jury enquiry into the syndicates, as the state of information available at present was not sufficient to justify it. They had given some consideration to harassing the known syndicate leaders by the use of tax law and other similar pressures (although the Hong Kong income tax law is not altogether suitable for the purpose).

(viii) Exchange of information with Thailand

Rolph reported that they had not so far developed a full exchange of information with. Thailand on known Thai traffickers, Hong Kong syndicate members and Hong Kong heroin chemists. He was hoping to discuss this with

Law in Thailand now that the latter was firmly in post, and to follow it up in due course.

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