TNAG-0690-FCO40-839-Review-of-narcotics-problem-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 131

CONFIDENTIAL

(3) THE EXACT NUMBER OF DRUG ADDICTS IN HONG KONG IS NOT KNOWN, BUT

HAS BEEN ESTIMATED TO BE IN THE REGION OF 80,000 TO 100,000. THE NUMBER OF DRUG ADDICTS IN OTHER NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES HAS BEEN ESTIMATED BY VARIOUS OFFICIAL SOURCES TO BE:

THAILAND

500,000

MALAYSIA

150,000

INDIA

80,000

LAOS

50,000

SINGAPORE

13,009

INDONESIA

14,000

BURMA

12.000

(OFFICIALLY REGISTERED)

AS IN THE CASE OF HONG KONG, IT IS NOT CERTAIN HOW RELIABLE THESE ESTIMATED FIGURES ARE. REPORTS FROM KOREA AND THE PHILIPPINES SUGGEST VERY LOW LEVELS OF DRUG ABUSE, JAPAN'S CURRENT DRUG PROBLEM IS DIFFERENT FROM OURS AND LIES MAINLY WITH SYNTHETIC DRUGS, NOTABLY

STIMULANTS: ABOUT 10,000 PERSONS WERE PROSECUTED FOR DRUG OFFENCES

IN 1975.

(4) DOLLARS HK 100,900 P.A. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, A FURTHER DOLLARS

HK 106,900 HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN THE DRAFT ESTIMATES FOR 1977/78. AT PRESENT, HONG KONG'S CONTRIBUTION IS AMONG THE HIGHEST AMONG DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN S.E. ASIA. IN 1975, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PHILIPPINES CONTRIBUTED DOLLARS US$,920, THAILAND DOLLARS US4,000, SINGAPORE DOLLARS US1,000, AND

MALAYSIA NOTHING.

5) HONG KONG BEING A FREE PORT, IT IS IMPRACTICABLE TO CARRY OUT CARGO INSPECTIONS INDISCRIMINATELY, SPOT CHECKS ARE CARRIED OUT HOWEVER, THE PERCENTAGE OF CARGO CHECKED VARYING WITH THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. WE DO NOT, THEREFORE, HAVE QUANTIFIABLE INFORMATION ON

THE ILLICIT TRADE OF DANGEROUS DRUGS INTO (OR OUT OF) HONG KONG,

2

CONFIDENT CAL

/ KUENROSEITON