ENG-2015 — Page 328

15

Public Order

In March 2015, representatives from the Narcotics Division, the police and the Customs and Excise, Health and Social Welfare departments joined the Chinese delegation to attend the 58th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs held in Vienna.

In November, the Commissioner for Narcotics led a Hong Kong delegation to Guangzhou to attend the International Symposium on Ketamine Abuse, Prevention and Control, organised by the Office of National Narcotics Control Commission, China Narcotics Control Foundation and Peking University.

Research

Drug-related research studies assist the government's formulation of anti-drug strategies and programmes. A survey of drug use among students from upper primary to post-secondary levels was conducted in 2014-15, with findings expected to be released in 2016. In 2015, two drug-related research projects were completed and seven were ongoing.

Beat Drugs Fund

With a capital base of $3.35 billion, the fund aims to support community efforts in combating drug abuse through financing worthwhile community projects, helping treatment and rehabilitation centres to meet statutory licensing requirements and supporting schools in implementing the Healthy School Programme with a Drug Testing Component. In 2015, the fund approved about $159 million to support 59 projects and programmes.

A new round of the fund's Anti-drug Community Awareness Building programme, implemented through the 18 District Fight Crime Committees with a total grant of $6.21 million, was launched for the period of 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2018 to sustain anti-drug efforts and to raise community awareness of hidden drug abuse.

Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT)

The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau co-ordinates overall AML/CFT policies. In this connection, the Narcotics Division is making preparations for establishing the R32 System, a reporting system on the physical cross-boundary transportation of large quantities of currency and bearer negotiable instruments, for which it conducted a public consultation from July to October 2015. The division also assists in the formulation of customer due diligence and record- keeping measures for designated non-financial businesses and professions, including lawyers, accountants, estate agents, trust and company service providers and dealers in precious metals and precious stones.

Government Laboratory

The Government Laboratory's Forensic Science Division provides a comprehensive forensic service to the criminal justice system. It has two operational groups, the Drugs, Toxicology and Documents Group and the Criminalistics and Quality Management Group.

The Drugs, Toxicology and Documents Group examines cases in three areas:

272