TNAG-0690-FCO40-839-Review-of-narcotics-problem-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 139

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8.

Reports received from Bangkok suggest that this year's opium crop has been a good one and that large quantities of raw opium and morphine are stockpiled awaiting shipment. The Narcotics Bureau is consequently alert to the possibility of further attempts at bulk import by traffickers vying for domination of the local drugs scene.

Export

9. Operations during the past six months have further clarified Hong Kong's position in relation to the export of drugs, heroin in particular, from South East Asia to Europe and the West Coast of the United States and Canada.

10. Hong Kong residents are still being used as international couriers and despite successes in the enforcement field it is expected that they will continue to be so engaged whilst rewards for their particupation are so high. Overseas Chinese continue to recruit from within their ethnic groups in Hong Kong. Continuing local high costs have resulted in drugs frequently being picked up by the couriers in other areas of South East Asia. International co-operation and the passing of information regarding suspected couriers to agencies overseas has resulted in a number of successful interceptions at airports in Europe and North America.

Storage/Distribution

11. The tendency for individual storage centres to hold relatively small stocks of drugs, which became apparent in the latter half of 1975, has continued this year. On at least one occasion (paragraphs 54 and 73 refer) persons operating a storage and distribution centre have been 'cutting' the heroin prior to distribution. The purity of the heroin emerging from such centres has been found to be as low as 10% compared with the normal purity of 25%-30%. The dilution of heroin once it has left the refinery is not a normal practice and it is believed that these measures are being taken by distributors anxious to offset the reduced supply of drugs available to them.

Cannabis and its Derivatives

12. Seizures of Cannabis and its derivatives during the period under review were higher than total annual seizures for any single year on record. This is not however seen as an indication of an increasing abuse of cannabis in Hong Kong; in many cases the seizures represented drugs in transit through Hong Kong destined for markets elsewhere.

Synthetic Drugs

13. Although Hong Kong is not a large-scale consumer area of synthetic drugs, particularly amphetamines and other stimulants, there is evidence of the territory being a supplier to Japan (paragraph 87 refers). Enforcement action has been taken in this respect and, hopefully, projected amendments to laws governing synthetic drugs will greatly assist in combatting this facet and will provide an added deterrent to any increasing abuse in Hong Kong.

Cases and Seizures

14. (a) Cases

During the 1st half of 1976 a total of 7,976 separate drug offences were detected resulting in the arrest of 7,400 persons, of whom 6,988 were convicted before the courts. Appendix I provides a breakdown of these offences.

(b) Seizures

Appendix II shows the quantities of dangerous drugs seized during the 1st half of 1976. During the period, 7,476 individual seizures were made of which 5,874 involved heroin and 952 opium; 195 seizures of other dangerous drugs were made and the remaining 455 involved non-dangerous drugs.

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