Australia: Police need public help to fight drug rings: report

A Federal Government agency says law enforcement groups will have to involve the private sector and the public to help interrupt the supply of amphetamines in Australia.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund has completed a long-term study commissioned by the Federal Government.

The results show that intercepting drug shipments will have only a limited impact on the supply of amphetamines.

Amphetamines are predicted to overtake cannabis as the most readily available illicit drugs in Australia, as they are cheaper and quicker to produce.

The core ingredients are also easy to access.

The chairman of the fund, Mark Payne, says increased local production of amphetamines is part of the reason for the trend.

He says that means more needs to be done to catch people who run secret drug laboratories.

Mr Payne says measures could include mandatory reporting of chemical and equipment sales.

"It's certainly something that has been trialed in other countries, that is to say a legislative requirement," he said.

The report says formal agreements with the private sector will also help interrupt the supply chain.

Mr Payne says there is also a wider role for the public.

"Networks within the greater public as well, in terms of identifying suspicious behaviour, and certainly clandestine laboratories do become known," he said.

"Not only the suspicious activity but the smells and the production activities that surrounds it."

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org/amphetablog.html
Pubdate: Fri, 20 May 2005
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australia Web)
Copyright: 2005 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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