E.R.
CONFIDENTIAL ·
identity of the Thai Police officer who would play a leading role in all this, the financial aspect, the possible use of the preventive service and the legal powers in relation to any drugs, the crew and the vessel itself should any or all of these be taken to Hong Kong.
13. It was agreed that the next stage would be for FCO to pursue these more detailed matters with MOD and for Hong Kong to explore more fully the matters which concerned them. Following the outcome of this consideration a workable scheme should emerge which might
then, after further consultation with our Embassies concerned, be put formally to the Thai authorities.
14. One further matter discussed was how much of this might be disclosed to various parties with an interest. Mr Lee was returning to Hong Kong via Washington where he would be having discussions with DEA officials and might also be invited to meet Mr Leister Woolf. This aspect was discussed with Mr March, the Head of the Far East Department. Mr March advised that Mr Lee ought not to say any more at this stage than that there appeared to be no fundamental
to objection of principle of such a scheme but that it would be clear that there were formidable legal and practical difficulties which would have to be fully explored and that although these were being urgently pursued, the matter had only just come to notice and some time was bound to elapse before anything positive could be said. Mr Law explained that he would be under some pressure from his Thai opposite members whose suggestion the whole scheme had been takin the first place, to know what progress had been made and he would have to be fairly frank with at least one of them but he was satis-
fied that this would remain in confidence. He would also have to
keep the DEA officials in Thailand reasonably in the picture about what was going on. Similarly, Mr Lee might be speaking more frankly in confidence to DEA officials in Washington. He would, however, observe the guarded approach advised in relation to public figures
such as Mr Woolf.
nu
Home Office
H3 Division
Romney House
5
CONFIDENTIAL
G I de DENEY
25 July 1975
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