Pubdate: Sun, 24 Jun 2001
Source: Sunday Telegraph, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2001 News Limited
Contact:  http://www.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/436

AUSTRALIA A LEADER IN DRUG BUSTS

Australia has the third best record in the world at seizing hard drugs. An 
international study shows only the UK and the Netherlands seized larger 
amounts of heroin, cocaine and ecstasy per head of population between 1995 
and 1998.Australian Federal Police figures due later this year are expected 
to paint an even better picture by putting Australia in the top spot.

In the league table of world heroin seizures, Australia climbed from 10th 
place to second in 1998 by recovering 28.1kg for each million residents. 
The seizure of 16,890 ecstasy tablets for each million residents moved 
Australia from 11th place to 5th place.

Cocaine seizures of 16.6kg for each million residents moved Australia from 
15th place to 12th.

The study of 18 nations included the European Union (EU), the United 
States, Canada and Australia, as well as the total for the European Union 
and the United Nation's estimates of global seizures.

The AFP claims the Government's $160 million National Illicit Drug Strategy 
and internal reforms have led to large drug seizures.

AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty told The Sunday Telegraph the increased 
seizures justified the Howard Government's increased funding to the AFP. 
"The Government is happy with the drug seizure results," Mr Keelty said.

He called for greater police powers to search containers and shipments 
coming into Australia. "Why don't we have reverse onus on importers to show 
what they have been importing in containers?" he said.

AFP director of service delivery Gordon Williamson told The Sunday 
Telegraph forward projections from 1999-2000 data showed Australia would 
become the world leader in drug law enforcement.

Figures from November 1997 to April 2001 showed heroin (1.68 tonnes) was 
still the main drug smuggled into Australia, closely followed by cocaine 
(1.5 tonnes), MDMA/ecstasy (736 kilograms) and amphetamines (458 kilograms).

The AFP has warned about an increasing number of amphetamines hitting 
Australia's streets in response to a "heroin drought" from Golden Triangle 
opium producing nations (Burma, Laos and Thailand).

Recent hauls by the AFP include Australia's largest ever heroin seizure of 
390kg near Port Macquarie in October 1998 and a 500kg haul of cocaine from 
a yacht off the coast near Broken Bay in February 2000.
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