ENG-1988 — Page 279

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PUBLIC ORDER

tickets and immigration documents. Of particular note was an investigation early in the year where the head of a forgery syndicate together with his technical expert were arrested and master negatives for the production of banknotes, travellers cheques and immigration documents were recovered.

Narcotics

Record seizures of heroin were made in Hong Kong during the past 12 months. Despite this, the price and purity of drugs at street level remained relatively stable due to ample supply of opiates from the Golden Triangle. An eighth successive bumper opium crop resulted in widespread trafficking throughout Southeast Asia to North America, Australia and Europe.

Major success was achieved against international organised groups of heroin traffickers originating from Hong Kong. As a result of sustained investigative work and close co- operation with overseas law enforcement agencies, many syndicate heads, together with a number of their assistants in Hong Kong and overseas, were arrested and large quantities of heroin were seized.

Drafting of the new legislation against money laundering in Hong Kong, which will enable sequestration of the assets of drugs traffickers in Hong Kong, was at an advanced stage.

Some 941.6 kilograms of opiate drugs including heroin base, No. 3 heroin, No. 4 heroin and opium were seized, compared with 737.05 kilograms in 1987. There were 11 577 prosecutions for narcotics offences, compared with 11 252 in the previous year.

Bomb Reports

During the year, 2 084 incidents relating to bombs and explosives were reported. These comprised 3 homemade explosive devices, 2044 unexploded World War II military ordnance (mainly shells and aircraft bombs), and 37 cases involving the seizure of explosives, and reports which were made with good intentions but which were found to involve innocuous objects. In addition, 219 hoax reports were received and dealt with by either bomb disposal or general duty officers.

Crime Prevention

Legislation with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of intruder alarm systems which were the subject of repeated false alarms, was still under consideration by the government.

During the year, the Intruder Alarm Inspection Unit of the Crime Prevention Bureau examined 68 installations and assisted owners by offering technical advice. The unit also visited 39 scenes of crime where alarms had been circumvented.

The Hong Kong Government, in consultation with the Security Association of Hong Kong, continued to make progress in its examination of the feasibility of legislation governing various aspects of the security industry.

The Crime Prevention Bureau continued to offer a wide range of services to the community in all areas of crime prevention, with emphasis on the prevention of juvenile involvement in crime, particularly shop theft.

Crime Information

The Police Operational Nominal Index Computer System, which is maintained and operated by the Criminal Records Bureau, handled some 10 100 enquiries each day, proving its continued effectiveness.