NEW SURGE IN DRUGS, POLICE SAY

THE importation and use of heroin, cannabis and cocaine increased sharply
last year, but police believe a surge in the availability of amphetamines
poses an even bigger threat to the public.All illegal drugs continued to be
readily available in Australia in the 12 months to July -- with prices
remaining stable -- despite record seizures by police and border agencies.

The Australian Illicit Drug Report, made public yesterday by the Australian
Bureau of Criminal Intelligence, revealed that amphetamines including
speed, ecstasy and ice are now the second most-used illicit drugs after
cannabis.

Police believe traditional south-east Asian heroin producers have
diversified into the manufacture of amphetamines. The report said some
members of Sydney's Filipino community are suspected of involvement with
the growing distribution of ice, or crystal methamphetamine.

Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Mick Keelty said the
syndicates behind heroin and amphetamines were the biggest criminal threat
to Australia.

Seizures of ecstasy, locally and around the world, reached unprecedented
levels in 1999-2000. Australian Customs detected a record 144.1kg (up 42kg
from 1998-99). Customs also seized 8.81kg of speed (up 5.34kg). The report
also highlighted a 60 per cent rise in clandestine laboratories since
1997-98, with many producing low-grade drugs to meet surging demand.

Victorian Police Chief Commissioner Neil Comrie, who chairs the bureau's
board, said the figures were of "great concern".

Most amphetamine laboratories are located in south-east Queensland, and
police know of the existence of at least 150 facilities across the country.

The amount and poor quality of ecstasy has alarmed police. Laboratory tests
have found traces of agricultural chemicals, veterinary drugs, heroin, LSD
and caffeine in confiscated tablets.

The bureau's national strategic assessments manager, Mark Geddes, said
illicit drug manufacturers had sometimes substituted anaesthetics stolen
from veterinary supply warehouses for more expensive and scarce ecstasy
ingredients.

Most of the ecstasy that reaches Australian streets and nightclubs is
produced in The Netherlands and south-east Asia, with purity levels ranging
from 0.4 per cent to 93.3 per cent.

Police and customs also seized 717.5kg of cocaine and 269kg of heroin in
1999-2000.

A recent shortage of heroin in Australia is forecast to be short-term, with
supplies expected to be on the streets soon from a bumper crop of opium in
south-east Asia.

Police are focusing on Afghanistan for opiate drugs, with the report saying
a boom there will have "many ramifications for Australian law enforcement
agencies in the coming years".

Both the federal police and the National Crime Authority have said only 10
per cent of the drugs imported into Australia are detected.