127. The most notable convictions concerned counterfeiting of Hong Kong $1 coins by local forgers and, with the assistance of police forces in Holland, Belgium, Switzerland and Korea, the breaking up of a large syndicate involved in gold smuggling between Europe and the Far East was achieved. Two couriers were fined $15,000 each and the leader of the syndicate was sentenced to four years imprisonment.
128. Two persons were convicted for copyright infringements and 26,000 gramophone records were seized in the course of the year.
129. The Commercial Crime Office has continued to co-operate closely with overseas Police Forces and law enforcement agencies.
SPECIAL INVESTIGATION OFFICE
130. A team of Police officers was engaged for the whole year investigating the failure of the Canton Trust Bank. Three Directors of the defunct bank were charged with conspiracy and other offences on 3rd February, 1969. The trial of these three men commenced at the Victoria District Court on 17th March, 1969 and was still in progress at the end of the year. It is anticipated that this trial will be one of the longest in the history of the Colony.
GENERAL INVESTIGATION OFFICE
131. The General Investigation Office deals with infringements of Ordinances administered by various Government Departments, and cases usually concern the falsification of statutory documents, false declarations and failure to meet registration requirements. Investiga- tions into organized gambling, vice, forgery, fraud, 'soft' drugs and other miscellaneous matters which require protracted enquiries also fall within the terms of reference for this office.
132. During the period under review the office handled 661 investiga- tions, an increase of 223 cases over the corresponding period 1967-68. Of the 661 investigations 258 dealt with infringements of Ordinances administered by various other Government Departments whilst the remainder dealt with organized gambling, vice, etc. Among cases of
note were:
(a) 'The Peso Case', in which a syndicate involved in the forgery of Philippine currency was smashed, and forged pesos to the face-value of about five million Hong Kong Dollars were seized. This case has been described as the largest of its kind in the
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