Police-1965-1966 — Page 37

at regular intervals to assess intelligence, establish and direct effective measures and to co-ordinate action throughout the Police Force. The Commissioner of Police is also represented on various other committees convened by Government to consider narcotic problems.

107. The Narcotics Bureau, under the direction of a Senior Super- intendent of Police, responsible to the Director of Criminal Investiga- tion, serves as an intelligence centre for the collection and collation of information concerning narcotics both in the Colony and overseas. It is in close touch with narcotic suppression agencies throughout the world. Officers from this bureau attended the 20th Session of the Com- mission on Narcotic Drugs held at the United Nations Headquarters, Geneva in November 1965, and at the Seminar on the Prevention of Narcotic Offences held in Tokyo in March 1966. During the year there was an interchange of officers between Hong Kong and Thailand to facilitate a better understanding of common problems and to co-ordinate particular investigation of cases affecting the interests of both territories.

108. Within the Colony, police action is implemented at different levels. The Narcotics Bureau is primarily engaged in the investigation of cases which demand specialist and protracted observation and en- quiries, such as the suppression of highly organized syndicates which, because of elaborate security manoeuvres on the part of the organizers, defy detection by routine measures. At the two urban District Police Headquarters a District Narcotics Squad operates against special targets of distribution and consumption; whilst at Divisional level vice squads are concerned in the control of the peddling and consumption of drugs within the divisional area. At the same time, the prevention and de- tection of narcotics offences is a general duty imposed on all Police officers.

109. During the year, 18,159 narcotic offences of all types were recorded as against 19,647 during the previous year, representing a decrease of 1,488 cases (7.6%). Seizures of narcotics were less in quantity than those of the previous year in which one spectacular case accounted for 76% of the total. Discounting this extraordinary circumstance in 1964-65, seizures during the year under review there- fore were relatively high. The seizures included one of 196 lb. of morphine and four of opium ranging from 310 lb. to 965 lb. each, with arrests in all cases. Total seizures by Police and the Preventive Service were:

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