TNAG-0692-FCO40-842-Congolese-diplomatic-correspondence-found-at-Kai-Tak-Airport-1977 — Page 11

Telegram, cleared with ADD,

Futer

But to Kurhaus 1K,

CONFIDENTIAL

repeated Nit.

United Kingdom Mission to the United Natiens

845 Third Avenue New York MY T0022

ແ

1 AUG 1977

1

JUKIC 404/1

P J Roberts Esq

West Africa Department

FOREIGN & COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

51

Your reference

Aru

& ike

16

Political Advner

Hon. Kony

Find

14/8 Chancery Hinshasa

Our reference (wikia def. To lepen

that har 28 July 1977 issued).

Date

LAST

RCF.

Gear. Rébuts,

1.

NOKT

REF.

21)

M. Ngali-Marsala, currently Chargé d'Affaires of the Congo Mission to the United Nations called on me on 26 July to make a demarche concerning a "diplomatic" suitcase which he said had been tampered with by the customs authorities in Hong Kong.

2. M. Marsala said that the Congo Mission here had sent a suitcase

It had two labels, to Brazzaville by Air France on 1 July 1976. one identifying it as having been despatched by the Mission, and one containing the destination address in Brazzaville. Nothing was heard of the suitcase until March this year when the Congo Mission here were approached by a Mrs Helbron, who identified herself as the

Mrs. Helbron told the correspondent of the Hong Kong Standard.

Congo Mission that she had learned that a suitcase

apparently the suitcase in question - had been found in Hong Kong, it had been there for some time and customs officers had opened it with a view to

The contents had included selling it and its contents by auction.

fire arms and a number of documents of a confidential nature. customs authorities had examined these documents.

The

3. M. Marsala said that the suitcase had also contained two cameras and some material. He was aware that fire arms should not have been included in any baggage sent by civil airlines, but insisted that notwithstanding this, the Hong Kong authorities had quite impermissibly opened a diplomatic package. The Hong Kong authorities must have known of its diplomatic character because, even if the label containing the destination address had become detached, the label indicating the sender was still attached to the suitcase when it was subsequently recovered by the Mission in July this year.

4. I asked M. Marsala whether his Mission had been in touch with this Mission or whether an approach had been made to the FCO, in March.

The He said that no approach had been made to us or the FCC.

The Congo information had, however been reported to Brazzaville. Mission had heard nothing more about the suitcase until earlier this month when they were telephoned by the security officer of Air France in New York and informed that the suitcase had been returned to New York. The Congo Mission collected it and found that, so far as they could see, it contained its original co nts, except the

These documents were fire arms and the confidential documents.

CONFIDENTIAL

/addressed