Pubdate: Mon, 06 Mar 2000 Source: Eastern Daily Press (UK) Copyright: 2000 Eastern Counties Newspapers Group Ltd Contact: Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE, UK Website: http://www.ecn.co.uk/ Author: Paul Hill CUSTOMS NOT SOFT ON CANNABIS Customs officials deny they will be "soft" on cannabis smugglers, despite a shift in national policy. East Anglia's anti-drug smuggling teams have been told to dedicate more resources and intelligence work to Class A drugs, particularly heroin, even though cannabis accounts for the vast majority of drug seizures and possession cases. Figures for 1998, published by the Home Office last month, showed that cannabis accounted for three-quarters of the 149,000 drug seizures. The customs policy shift mirrors the approach of Whitehall's drugs "tsar" Keith Hellawell, who wants to concentrate on Class A drugs and the effect they have on other crimes. John Barber, spokesman for HM Customs and Excise in East Anglia, said that there was no question of being soft on cannabis. Officers would still pursue cannabis cases if they found concealed consignments during checks at ports and airports. "But we have been asked to put more resources and intelligence effort into Class A drugs as theses are seen as being more dangerous". Mr Hellawell believes the use of soft drugs should remain a criminal offence, but thinks drugs should be targeted according to the "relative harm they cause." The customs policy change follows targets by the Government to halve the number of under 25's using heroin by 2008, and reduce the number of users by a quarter by 2005. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D