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It was important that Hong Kong should be seen to be doing its best to prevent drugs entering and leaving the Colony as the US could impose very damaging trade restrictions on Hong Kong if they thought not enough was being done.
Mr Lee said he was often asked why the Thais could not arrest the trawlers while they were still in Thai waters. The main problem here was that because of corruption it was virtually impossible to mount an operation without a leak. Mr Law also pointed out that it would expose under-cover agents to great risk. Mr Law then referred to electronic devices which both the British and the Americans were currently developing. Such a device could be placed clandestinely on a trawler and thus enable aircraft to pick up a signal and keep track of the trawler as it approached Hong Kong. The scientists were at present trying to overcome a problem over the life span of the devices'batteries; it was possible that the devices might be triggered by remote control. Mr Rumbelow said that at present when he received information from Bangkok that a trawler was leaving for Hong Kong he usually managed to confir from his sources in Hong Kong that a consignment was, in fact, expected. An aircraft of the Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force would then be sent out to try to photograph the trawler.
9. Sir D Watson asked about possible Chinese reaction to operations by a Thai vessel close to CFG territorial waters. ir Lee said that the question of contact with communist govern- ments in the area had been raised at the recent tripartite meeting and he had been asked whether there was any way of putting pressure on these governments to obtain their support. The question of a dialogue between Sir Harry Greenfield and the CPG, which had been raised some time previously, was again mentioned. Mr Lee said that Mr Donald, Political Adviser in Hong Kong, had in fact raised the question of Chinese ascistance in apprehending drug smugglers with the NCNA official in Hong Kong. Apparently the NCNA official had been somewhat taken by
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