Pubdate: Tue, 21 May 2013
Source: Sunshine Coast Daily (Australia)
Copyright: 2013 APN News & Media Ltd
Contact:  http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4590
Auithor: Jessica Grewal

AUSTRALIAN POLICE FIGHTING HARD TO CURB DRUG TRAFFICKING

COCAINE in toys and meth in curry paste are among the alarming
discoveries Australian authorities are making as they battle record
numbers of drug traffickers, a government crime report has revealed.

In 2011-2012, more than 76,000 busts and 93,000 arrests took
drug-related crime to its highest level in more than a decade.

The Australian Crime Commission's Illicit Drug Report found drug
importation was up by more than 150%.

While cannabis remains Australia's drug of choice, demand for heroin,
cocaine and meth is on the rise.

The purity of the drug "ice" has more than doubled in NSW and
Victoria.

The market for steroids and other performance enhancing drugs is also
flourishing.

Describing drug use as Australia's "biggest disease", John lawler ,
CEO of ACC, said the report had given authorities the data they needed
to deal with elaborate drug trade.

He said while parcel post remained the most common avenue for
traffickers, drug importation had "evolved considerably".

Organised crime was blamed in the report for the country's drug
problem.

Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare told reporters he had grown up in
Cabramatta where he was offered heroin on his daily train-ride home
from school.

He said scourge of drugs was evident in the gangland war currently
being waged in Sydney's west.

His answer is a US modeled multi-agency crime-fighting machine which
has already smashed several international supply chains.

In one single raid last year, police stopped 11 tones of the
meth-making ingredient hypo phosphorous from hitting the streets where
it would have returned more than $3 billion.

Mr Clare said the key to catching criminals and seizing drugs on the
streets and at the border was teamwork and the sharing of
intelligence.

Earlier this year, the Federal Government announced it was set up a
National Border Targeting Centre as part of a $149.9 million package
to tackle organised crime.

Taskforce Polaris in Sydney and Taskforce Trident in Melbourne are
already in action.

Taskforce Jericho will be launched in Brisbane in July.

KEY FINDINGS

The number and weight of amphetamine-type stimulant (excluding MDMA)
border detections has increased and is the highest reported level in
the last decade.

The number and weight of national amphetamine-type stimulants
increased and is the highest reported in the last decade.

The number and weight of national cannabis seizures
increased.

The number of seizures is the highest reported in the last
decade.

The number and weight of national heroin seizures increased. The
number of seizures if the highest reported in the last decade.

The number and weight of national cocaine seizures increased. The
weight is the highest reported in the last decade.

The number and weight of national steroid seizures increased and both
are the highest reported in the last decade.

A record 809 clandestine laboratories were detected with the majority
producing amphetamine-type substances - the majority of these
laboratories were small addict based laboratories.

Colombia is the predominant source of cocaine seized at the border and
South-East Asia and South-West Asia is the predominant source for
heroin seized at the border.
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MAP posted-by: Matt