COMMISSIONER DEFENDS DRUG RECORD

Australian Federal Police commissioner Mick Keelty today defended police
amid claims Australia was losing the drug war.

National Crime Authority chairman Gary Crooke yesterday admitted Australia
was able to intercept only a fraction of drugs imported to the country.

But Mr Keelty said police were having an significant impact.

"The reality is that the seizures that we've had in the past two years
particularly demonstrate quite clearly that we are having an effect in the
supply-reduction strategy," he told ABC radio.

"We are having an effect that has created a heroin drought.

"There is some market movement towards amphetamines, we're aware of that.

"And on the back of that market movement we've had the largest seizure in
our history of methamphetamine and amphetamines in Queensland."

Mr Crooke also admitted yesterday that widespread publicity of drug busts
could send the mistaken message that Australia was winning the war against
drugs.

But Mr Keelty said publicity was part of the police strategy.

"(It's) is a message that's picked up overseas and that's a deliberate
strategy to say if you're going to try and deal in this country, be aware
that we have a well-coordinated and targeted and focused attack on this,"
he said.

"I would have to say that any life saved as a result of a strategy or
policy, it has to be a positive thing.

"If we're talking in the realms of saving in excess of 150 lives in one
state alone in a six to eight month period then the strategy has to be working."