TNAG-1363-FCO40-1809-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 47

WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN GIVEN.

- 2 -

ONCLUDE, ON

BUT CAREFUL CONSIDERATION LED THE POLICE TO CONCLUDE, ON

REASONABLE GROUNDS, THAT THIS WAS NOT NECESSARY. THE POLICE WERE

QUICKLY ABLE TO ESTABLISH A LINK BETWEEN THE TWO ATTEMPTS, THE LACK

OF SOPHISTICATION OF THE CULPRITS, THE FACT THAT THE AFFECTED DRINKS

APPEARED TO BE IN ONE LOCATION, AND, MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, THE MINIMAL

QUANTITIES OF ADULTERANT FOUND. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, IT WAS JUDGED

THAT PREMATURE PUBLICITY WOULD ONLY HAVE PLAYED INTO THE HANDS OF THE

CULPRITS BY CREATING UNNECESSARY PUBLIC ALARM AND IMPROVING THE CHANCES

OF A SUCCESSFUL EXTORTION.

FINALLY, I WOULD ADD THAT WORLD EXPERIENCE SHOWS A

DISTRESSING TENDENCY FOR IMITATIVE OR "COPYCAT" CRIMES TO RESULT FROM

THE PUBLICITY GIVEN TO CASES OF THIS SORT.

ACCORDINGLY, THE LESS PUBLICITY THE BETTER WHERE. THERE IS

NO SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH.