Illicit drugs the main profit source for organised crime
by Ernie Davitt, National Affairs Editor, ASM
Australia’s criminal intelligence agency, the Australian Crime Commission (ACC), has painted a chilling picture of the illegal drug scene in Australia and its links to organised crime.
The ACC has issued a new report to help law enforcement agencies better tackle illicit drugs and limit the devastating effects of drugs on Australian families.
The Australian Crime Commission’s Illicit Drug Data Report 2008-09 says the number of arrests for amphetamine-type stimulants – which includes methylamphetamine and MDMA – has more than doubled over the past decade, with the number of seizures the highest on record.
The head of the ACC and former Deputy Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, John Lawler, said that addressing the use of amphetamine-type stimulants had become an increasing focus for law enforcement agencies and decision-makers.
“Illicit drug use is a catalyst for untold harm in our communities. The negative impacts are both economic and social. The impact on the quality of life of illicit drug users doesn’t happen in isolation. Families, the very foundations of our society, are damaged, and very often destroyed,” he said.
“Our understanding of the illicit drug market goes directly to the fight against serious and organised crime in Australia. Serious and organised crime is principally motivated by money and power, and the illicit drug market continues to be the main source of profit for serious and organised crime.
“The more precise the picture we draw, the more effective we can be in our fight against organised crime.”
Report indicates shift in origin of heroin imports
The latest Illicit Drug Data Report includes more information on the manufacture of illicit drugs, domestic and international trends, forensic profiling data and health-related initiatives to help address the illicit drug issue.
The report shows that, despite Afghanistan remaining the world’s dominant opium producer, profiling of heroin seizures made at the Australian border indicates a possible shift to southeast Asia as the major source of heroin entering Australia.
The Minister for Home Affairs, Brendan O’Connor, said the report’s findings should not be thought of as simply facts and figures on a page, but as tools to help combat the devastating health, social and economic effects of drug use in Australia.
“Every day illicit drugs are destroying lives and tearing families apart. Drug use rarely occurs in isolation – it affects children, parents, brothers, sisters, extended families, friends and work colleagues,” he said.
“Individuals pay the price of drug use with their health, and all Australians pay the immense social and economic costs.
“Once we know the where, when and who of drug use in Australia we can keep drugs off our streets and ensure fewer young Australian lives are lost to the scourge of illicit drug use.”
The Illicit Drug Data Report 2008-09 shows that:
- more than 13 tonnes of illicit drugs were seized;
- there were almost 84,000 illicit drug arrests;
- amphetamine-type stimulant drug arrests more than doubled over the past decade from 8,083 in 1999-2000 to 16,452 in 2008-09; and
- a record 449 clandestine laboratories were detected – triple the number at the start of the decade.
In terms of arrests, seizures and reported use, cannabis remains the dominant illicit drug in Australia.
While the weight of cannabis detections at the Australian border decreased by 84 per cent in 2008-09, the number of detections increased by 60 per cent and is the highest in the last decade.
Despite a record number of national cannabis seizures in 2008-09, the weight seized decreased by nearly 40 per cent compared with 2007-08.
The weight of heroin detections at the Australian border increased from 99.3 kilograms in 2007-08 to 150.6 kilograms in 2008-09.
While the weight of national heroin seizures increased by 113 per cent in 2008-09, it remains considerably lower than seizures earlier in the decade.
Recent increases in cocaine arrests and reported use, as well as considerable seizures of the drug in recent years, indicate a possible expansion of the Australian cocaine market.
The number of cocaine detections at the Australian border decreased from 627 in 2007-08 to 359 in 2008-09.
While the weight and number of national cocaine seizures decreased in 2008-09, they remain at high levels.
The weight of seized drugs categorised as ‘other and unknown’ is the highest on record.
In 2008-09, border detections of opioid pharmaceuticals increased by 67 per cent. The number of ketamine border detections nearly doubled from 18 in 2007-08 to 33 in 2008-09.
For the first time, this year’s report has a chapter dedicated to clandestine laboratories. It shows:
- Western Australia had the sharpest rise in detections, with 78 laboratories detected - an increase of 160 per cent from 2007–08;
- Queensland found the greatest number of clandestine laboratories, with 148 laboratories detected; and
- two-thirds of clandestine laboratories were located in residential areas.
The Illicit Drug Data Report is drawn from law enforcement, forensic laboratories and government agencies across the country.
Mr Lawler said it was vital to work in partnership to develop strategies which targeted supply and minimised harm.
“Effective harm reduction strategies require a fully integrated response from Commonwealth, state and territory governments through to law enforcement, health and academia,” he said.
This article first appeared in ASM, Sep/Oct 2010 issue.