ROYAL HONG KONG |
/POLICE
ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE
NARCOTICS BUREAU BULLETIN
1985
IN CONFIDENCE
NARCOTICS SITUATION IN HONG KONG
Opiate Drugs-General Situation
1. During 1985 by far the most widely abused drug in Hong Kong was No. 3 heroin, a granular form of heroin most suited for smoke inhalation and intravenous injection. This heroin is manufactured from heroin base in a process which, using modern equipment such as microwave ovens, electric mincers, electric heater fans etc., takes a matter of a few hours and requires little skill or chemical knowledge. 2. Heroin base is the form in which heroin is imported into Hong Kong. The exclusive source of this heroin base during 1985 was the region of the Golden Triangle, the confluence of Burma, Thailand and Laos. The heroin base is manufactured in that region from opium produced in the Golden Triangle. It is then normally shipped to Hong Kong via Thailand by various means, the most prolific of which is the Thai trawler route.
3. A fifth successive bumper harvest of opium in the Golden Triangle resulted in a further influx of heroin base into Hong Kong which provided ready availability of No. 3 heroin to heroin addicts at relatively cheap prices. Despite this influx, both Police and Customs maintained a high degree of vigilance and determination and were able to inflict significant disruption upon many very active manufacturing and distribution syndicates in Hong Kong.
4. The most significant seizure of the year occurred on 21 January 1985 when Customs officers seized 100 kilograms of heroin base as it was being off-loaded from a motorised sampan to a taxi at a Kennedy Town public pier. Both Police and Customs officers were responsible for neutralizing a total of six heroin manufacturing centres during the year, seizing a total of 14.8 kilograms of heroin base and 87 kilograms of the final product, No. 3 heroin, and severely disrupting some very active and prolific manufacturing syndicates. Throughout the year, vigorous enforcement action resulted in substantial seizures, despite there being only one major seizure of heroin base compared with five in 1984. 5. The consistently high level of enforcement action by both Police and Customs at all levels, combined with poor profitability and disrupted heroin base supplies from Thailand, resulted in a steady fall in purity of No. 3 heroin throughout the year and considerable fluctuation in wholesale and retail prices.
6. The abuse of opium remained a relatively minor problem in Hong Kong during 1985. Opium abusers are normally older generation males who have used the drug for many years. The Golden Triangle was again the source of all opium seized in Hong Kong in 1985. Much of it is believed to have been smuggled into the Territory through China. During 1985 effective enforcement action was taken against this trade with some 72 kilograms of raw opium and 27 kilograms of pepared opium scized and 554 persons prosecuted for opium related offences.
1
IN CONFIDENCE
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