ENG-2017 — Page 317

16

Public Order

Dangerous Drugs

The police adopt a multi-agency approach to enlist support from the community in prohibiting drug abuse and trafficking. Methamphetamine, also known as Ice, and cocaine were the most commonly abused drugs in 2017, accounting for 46 per cent of the 4,400 persons arrested for dangerous drugs.

To tackle transnational drug trafficking, the Narcotics Bureau maintains a strategic partnership with Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies. This led to 20 joint operations in 2017 that seized 2,798kg of illicit drugs.

The emergence of new drugs poses challenges to regulators and law enforcement agencies worldwide. The Narcotics Bureau is working to amend related legislation and devise intervention strategies.

Financial Investigation

The Joint Financial Intelligence Unit and the Financial Investigations Division combat money laundering and terrorist financing activities, while the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment Unit coordinates risk assessment exercises. In 2017, 83 persons were convicted of money laundering offences, with about $50.11 million of criminal assets restrained and $331.5 million confiscated.

The Narcotics Bureau also played an active role in the international conferences of the Financial Action Task Force, Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering and Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units.

Forensic Support

The Identification Bureau collects and compares fingerprints, examines firearms, takes photographs and gathers DNA evidence from crime scenes to support crime investigations and prosecutions. In 2017, fingerprint evidence linked 1,498 persons to 1,326 criminal cases.

The Advanced Technology Section of the Identification Bureau was awarded ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation by the Hong Kong Accreditation Service in July, demonstrating its professional status in the field of fingerprint examination.

Liaison

The Liaison Bureau is the designated contact point with law enforcement agencies of the Mainland, Macao, Taiwan and overseas countries, and with foreign liaison officers stationed in Hong Kong, on all police-related matters. It also operates as a sub-bureau of the Interpol National Central Bureau China, dealing with all Interpol-related matters in Hong Kong.

Apart from assisting in investigations, the Liaison Bureau coordinates requests about mutual legal assistance and the surrender of fugitive offenders. It is also the designated unit handling notifications under a reciprocal notification mechanism with the Mainland.

249