Safe city: Senior Assistant Commissioners of Police Peter Yam and Richard Tang review Hong Kong's crime situation.

Hong Kong's law and order remained stable in the first half of the year with rates in several serious crimes falling, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Richard Tang says.

The first six months of 2006 saw falls in rapes (-15.6%), pickpocketing (-15.3%), criminal damage (-11.7%) and burglary (-4.7%). Overall crime rose only 3.5%, with 39,433 cases recorded. Violent crime accounted for 7,091 cases, up 7.9%.

Noting there was a general increase in the number of serious crimes, such as bank robbery (up 120%), homicide (33.3%), theft from vehicles (22.4%), missing vehicles (19%), criminal intimidation (16.1%) and serious narcotics offences (12.2%), Mr Tang said Police are working hard against these offences.

Copycat robbers

Mr Tang said 20 bank robberies occurred, 1.2 times higher than the same period last year. Yet in 15 of those cases the culprits fled empty-handed.

"So far, Police have detected 11 cases with the arrest of five men. All were committed by lone culprits and there was no evidence to suggest any involvement of crime syndicates. We believe some of the cases were simply committed by copycat robbers," he said.

Several intelligence-led and undercover operations against triad personalities and activities have been mounted to combat their financial sources. Operation Thunderbolt, a tripartite anti-triad operation conducted with Guangdong and Macau Police in June, saw 1,762 people arrested, and 37 gambling dens, 44 vice establishments and two drug dens shut down. A large quantity of drugs, pirated discs, illicit cigarettes and oil was seized.

Mr Tang said over the past six months, 1,018 serious narcotics cases were detected and 1,274 people arrested for them, up 12.2% and 12.1%.

Ketamine, cocaine rises

Cases involving psychotropic substances rose 36.1%, with ketamine and cocaine cases up 120% and 82%. However, heroin and 'ice' cases fell 20%.

"Except for ketamine, the quantity of drugs seized saw a drop when compared with the same period last year. It is worth noting that early this year we made two large seizures of ketamine, totalling 351kg, and also neutralised an ecstasy manufacturing centre with a seizure of 600kg of ecstasy powder sufficient for producing 300,000 tablets," Mr Tang said.

Apart from stringent enforcement, Police will also emphasise education and publicity to strengthen anti-drug abuse messages to the public, particularly teenagers.