TNAG-0561-FCO40-656-Review-of-narcotics-problem-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 34

to Hong Kong the trade had for a time ceased completely once they had been broken. In its place, however, the importation of morphine base had developed and this was likely to prove a much more intran- sigent problem. The morphine was being converted into heroin

and enforcement activity was being concentrated on neutrali- sing illicit heroin factories. There had been considerable success in exposing these, 10 having been found and 16 chemists arrested in the past 20 months. This success had led, however, to chemists seeking safer harbours in Thailand and Malaysia (Penang area) and there was evidence of heroin being imported into Hong Kong. There was no evidence of any sizeable exportation of heroin from Hong Kong at the present time, but it had become clear over the last year that Hong Kong had been a more considerable source of supply of heroin to the Western world than the Hong Kong authorities had traditionally believed.

3. The United States

In 1974 the DEA had mounted Operation Stride. This was a computer linked laboratory analysis programme for the identification of the place of manufacture of heroin. Two programmes of analysis had been conducted, one involved the gross analysis of all seizures the other an in-depth analysis of a sample of seizures. The correlation between the two programmes had been positive and it had been shown that overall 12% of heroin seizures in the US had originated from SE Asia. The Asian heroin was found mainly in the Southern States, on the Eastern seaboard, in the middle west and in the north west. A parallel operation had investigated the street scene in New York and had revealed the lowest ever availability of Asian heroin, 58% of seizures being of Lebanese/French origin, 28% of Mexican origin and the rest Asian. Much of the Asian heroin traffic involved individual entrepreneurs, particularly GIS and ex-military personnel who were well organised. The ethic Chinese were also heavily involved. was evidence that some Asian heroin was coming into the US via Amsterdam.

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The United Kingdom

There

The amounts of heroin being seized by Customs appeared to be levelling off and the increase in the smuggling of Asian heroin which was anticipated in 1972 had not materialised. The success of Customs

in detecting illicit imports from the Far East on aircraft and ships, together with success in identifying some of the principle organisers at the London end, may have accounted for the diversion of the traffic to Holland where the control was less stringent. The Chinese con- tinued to monopolise the trade in the UK but there was some evidence of Malaysian involvement. There was no evidence of French heroin coming into the country and only very little of Lebanese. There had been a growth in the interception of imports of cocaine which seemed to be replacing heroin on the illicit market. This originated from South America and was organised by South Americans. In London the heroin traffic centred round the tightly knit Soho Chinese restaurant community. It was extremely difficult for non-Asian law enforcement officers to infiltrate this organisation which was very efficient in protecting its operatives all along the chain. Opium was not a signi- ficant problem although in 1974 the number of convictions for unlawful possession had almost doubled and there was some evidence that some cannabis users were experimenting with it.

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