MAIL ORDER DRUG SCAM IS TARGETED BY CUSTOMS

THE boom in UK courier firms thanks to internet shopping has fuelled
drug smuggling.

The drugs come in Jiffy bags, disguised as business documents, or inside
soft toys and other goods, like CD or video cassette boxes.

Customs now regularly screen Royal Mail sorting depots for suspect
packages, especially those with postmarks from countries known for
drug-trafficking, like Colombia or Amsterdam.

But the massive increase in mail and e-mail order has stacked the odds
against them of finding more than pounds 1million worth of cannabis,
ecstasy, cocaine and heroin posted into Scotland every year.

Around 4000 delivery companies have been set up over the last few years.

The biggest seizure to date has been pounds 54,000 of cannabis which was
mailed from Spain to Scotland.

But one senior Scottish detective said: "It is very difficult to
estimate the exact value because the amounts vary in size for personal
use to the larger organised supplies.

"But we believe it easily runs into seven figures."

Jane Griffiths, from Customs and Excise, said: "When something is
suspicious it is put through an x-ray machine and if necessary
unwrapped.

"If we find drugs we take them out of the envelope, reseal it, then
forward the address to local customs teams. If the person receives or
signs for the delivery they can be prosecuted."

To avoid detection, dealers often have the drugs sent to mail drop
addresses, usually empty council houses.