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SCMP Reporter

TWO mainlanders were arrested, two speedboats seized and two cars recovered yesterday after a chase from Sai Kung to Lamma Island and back.

  More than 160 men from the police, Royal Navy, army and the Government Flying Services were involved in the latest stage of the anti-smuggling Operation Disavow.

  The men from Huidong were arrested by three police officers who climbed a rope down from a Sikorsky S76 helicopter, east of the Ninepin Islands and eight nautical miles from Chinese waters.

  The drama began between 3 am and 4 am when crewmen on board Royal Navy pursuit craft HMS Peacock spotted five speedboats east of Rocky Harbour in Sai Kung.

  Two fast patrol craft gave chase despite thunderstorms and heavy rain, assisted by a Wessex helicopter from the RAF 28th Squadron at Sek Kong and HMS Plover.

  The navy lost sight of the boats because of the weather, but they were picked up again off Cheung Chau by the helicopter.

  HMS Peacock captain Lieutenant-Commander David Carey said he believed all five boats were carrying cars that had been loaded from a barge off Cheung Chau.

  ''The weather conditions were pretty poor and one of our men on board a FPC [fast patrol craft] injured his leg during the pursuit,'' he added.

  The navy renewed their chase south of Lamma as the smugglers made a dash for Chinese territorial waters.

  Detective Superintendent Andy Tsang Wai-hung of the anti-smuggling task force said: ''We decided to wait south of Po Toi because we expected the boats would come into Hongkong again as they had to head north if they wanted to go back to Huidong.''   The smugglers could not stay in southern Chinese waters too long because they feared being tracked by Chinese Public Security Bureau vessels based at Zhuhai.

  When the speedboats re-appeared at about 6 am, the navy handed over the chase to a police launch, which pursued them towards the Ninepins.

  One boat ran aground at Pak Lap off Rocky Harbour.

  Two men were seen jumping ashore and a search was mounted but failed to find them. On board the abandoned vessel was a suspected stolen Honda Civic.

  The Government Flying Services helicopter, which took over the duties of the RAF Wessex, spotted another boat at about 7.15 am heading at high speed off the Ninepins towards China.

  But one of the speedboat's engines broke down and three police officers climbed down from the Sikorsky and arrested two men aged 19 and 26. They also seized a new Nissan Cefiro.

        The suspects are expected to be charged with using a vessel for the purpose of smuggling.



Two held after marathon sea chase