POLICE HAUL HITS $291M

The Crime Agencies Annual Report shows that NSW police have seized $291
million worth of drugs, up 53 per cent from the previous year, and
confiscated $9.8 million (up 483pc) in assets allegedly purchased with drug
money.

The seizures included 34,581 grams of amphetamines (up 415pc), 173,032g of
cannabis leaf (up 440pc), 19,325g of ecstasy (up 157pc) and 481,102g of
heroin (up 11pc).

Drugs operations included the dismantling of 20 clandestine laboratories,
predominantly making amphetamines.

Police virtually have disbanded a motorcycle gang involved in major
trafficking and closed Sydney nightclubs selling drugs.

In overseas operations, the Joint Asian Crime Group, with Customs, Federal
police and the National Crime Authority, disrupted five international drug
rings and seized 460kg of heroin and $3.7 million in cash.

Record seizures of heroin, cocaine and a growth in ecstasy seizures are
being made at State borders.

The report states heroin is controlled by a small number of importers and
sold predominantly through NSW and mostly the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta,
the State's drug capital.

Marijuana is predominantly produced in northern NSW and South Australia.
Large-scale importations from Asia are made by organised crime figures
described as the "East Coast Criminal Milieu".

Only cocaine seizures - down from 4,000g to 2,655g - fell this year.

Gangs

Overseas and local gangs are increasingly violent, well-organised and armed.

They are principally ethnic-based or motorcycle gangs.

They are involved in drugs, rebirthing of cars, murder and gun smuggling.
Middle-Eastern ethnic gangs in south-western Sydney and Kings Cross have
committed murders as they establish territory and ward off competitors.

Members mostly shoot each other, but innocent citizens do get slain in the
crossfire.

They have a flagrant disregard for laws and the State.

Over the past 20 months across Australia there have been more than 20
incidents of bombings, arson, disappearances and shootings involving bike
gangs. These are mostly internecine war incidents arising from gang rivalry
and the amphetamine trade, but the murders and violence tend to be
committed overtly, in public places, instilling fear in the community.

Asian gangs operate extortion and kidnapping rackets in Asian
neighbourhoods and fraud gangs have been detected.

Violent Crime

NSW has 200 murders and attempted murders a year. Last year the Homicide
and Serial Violent Crime Agency (HSVCA) arrested 80 people and charged them
with 168 murder and related offences.

Just under half of the State's annual murders involve family members and
about 20 per cent involve strangers.

The HSVCA reports that murders are becoming more complex, particularly
those involving drugs and organised crime. More and more murderers are
using guns.

With the development of a 24-hour response and mandatory reporting, the
HSVCA responded to 139 investigations, a 62pc increase on the previous year.

Reported cases of child abuse remain high and several significant pedophile
networks involving offences with children aged between four and 17 going
back to the 1960s were identified.

Such networks operating through the internet present a difficult challenge,
but arrests for child abuse by NSW police have risen 8.3pc, with the Child
Protection Enforcement Agency targeting high-profile sex offenders,
resulting in 477 charges laid.