Anti-narcotics Operations

The department continued to take vigorous enforcement action to prevent
and suppress unlawful trafficking in dangerous drugs and their
manufacture and distribution. To reinforce this effort, it also enforced the
Control of Chemicals Ordinance which aims at preventing the diversion of
chemicals for the illicit manufacture of dangerous drugs and psychotropic
substances.

The Customs Drug Investigation Bureau is the department's major
investigative arm. Its main functions are to conduct investigations and
surveillance in cases involving illegal trafficking or use of drugs. The
department worked closely with the Hong Kong Police Force, various
provincial Public Security Bureaux in the mainland of China and overseas
drug enforcement agencies in the exchange of intelligence and in the
arrest of drug criminals.

In 1997, the department cracked 50 major trafficking cases, and
neutralised four heroin attenuating, 12 packing and two storage centres.
Officers seized 39 kilograms of heroin, 858 kilograms of cannabis,
1.5 kilograms of raw opium, 2.5 kilograms of prepared opium, 33.1
kilograms of cocaine, 50 grams of methamphetamine, three tablets of
Ecstasy and 15 607 tablets of other psychotropic drugs. A total of 912
persons were arrested for drug-related offences. The department had
several successes in preventing the diversion of controlled chemicals at
the international level and 7 700 kilograms of controlled chemicals were
seized.

During the year, the department confiscated assets worth $430,000
derived from drug trafficking and conducted 1 836 investigations into
money laundering. Drug-related assets worth $2.8 million were restrained.

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