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Importation
6. Intelligence reports continued to indicate that Thai fishing trawlers bringing drugs to Hong Kong generally transhipped their cargoes to local junks at points much further south than in the past, greatly increasing the difficulty of detection. One notable exception occurred in December 1974, when a patrolling, aircraft spotted a Thai trawler at anchor south of the Lima Islands. A combined air/sea operation was mounted to harass the trawler, as a result of which it returned to Thailand with its cargo of drugs still aboard. The operation is reported fully at paragraphs 44-46.
Exportation
7. The shortage of drugs on the local market and the resultant spiralling prices has made it economically unviable for syndicates to engage in large-scale export of drugs from Hong Kong. The latest intelligence available indicates that drug supplies to Europe from the Far East are now coming almost entirely from other countries in the region. On some occassions Hong Kong-based couriers have been used, but in general they pick up their consignments en route to Europe.
Storage/Distribution Centres
8. A number of storage/distribution centres were discovered during the period, details of which appear at paragraphs 27-37. No unusual features were discovered at any of the stores.
Synthetic Drugs
9. The problem of synthetic drugs is still a relatively minor one in Hong Kong, although there are indications of increasing use amongst bar and dance-hall girls and their customers. The law relating to synthetic drugs is currently under review and it is hoped that this will lead to stricter control.
Cannabis and its Derivatives
10. In December 1974 one case involving a significant amount of cannabis found aboard a ship came to light, but there is reason to believe that this was intended for Europe rather than Hong Kong (see paragraph 25). In general however there is no change in the cannabis situation, with importation confined to small quantities for individual consumption.
Traffic in Narcotics
Local Consumption
11. Types of dangerous drugs consumed and methods of consumption in Hong Kong have remained basically unchanged. However an increasing number of addicts have been arrested in possession of syringes the figure has almost trebled in the period September-December-which would seem to indicate increasing use of injection of heroin in order to conserve supplies.
Cases and Seizures
12. (a) Cases
During 1974 a total of 19,699 separate drug offences were detected, resulting in the arrest of 18,451 persons, of whom 17,743 were convicted before the courts. Appendix I outlines the offences in detail.
(b) Seizures
Appendix II shows the quantities of dangerous drugs seized during 1974. During the year 14,110 individual seizures were made, of which 8,390 involved heroin and 4,778
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