DRUG LORDS MAY NE 'NAMED AND SHAMED' ON NET

DRUG traffickers who flood Britain with cocaine and heroin could be named
and shamed on the Internet under proposals for the publication of a "most
wanted" list.

Anti-drug investigators have put forward plans to ministers to publish a
list of up to 200 international traffickers who are based abroad and
dominate British and world markets.

They would include Turkish family clans behind heroin supplies and
Colombians who control cocaine shipments.

The traffickers would be arrested if they set foot in Britain and lists
would be held at all ports and airports. The names would also be placed on
the Internet to embarrass them internationally and disrupt their
operations. Campaigners argue that although Interpol and the FBI publish
"most wanted" lists they are not issued in Britain. However, a list naming
the millionaire and billionaire traffickers would place them in the spotlight.

Investigators say that many of the kingpins in the international drug world
maintain the image of respectable businessmen with homes and investments
round the world. British police and Customs would back the Internet
postings with an offer to give foreign governments evidence so that they
could act. None of the traffickers has convictions in Britain. If they
wanted to challenge their identification they would have to take legal
action in the British courts and justify their fortunes.

The plan is part of a strategy to attack the drug traffickers at the heart
of supplies rather than concentrating solely on the gangs smuggling
consignments into Britain. Drug trafficking suspects who come and go into
the country on business and personal visits might also be refused visas.
Investigators know a number of suspected major players with homes in
Britain or whose families live here.

Yesterday Keith Hellawell, the Government's "drugs czar", said that he was
also investigating the seizure of the passports of anyone convicted of drug
trafficking. Launching the second national plan to curb drugs use, Mr
Hellawell said that the passports would be taken for a number of years on
the orders of a court. He added that the courts could act not only against
top-level traffickers but lesser offenders caught bringing drugs into this
country. Other EU countries were being asked to consider similar policies.

Paul Evans, a Customs chief investigation officer, said that criminals
could get access to false passports but in the meantime their operations
would be disrupted. Many middle-ranking traffickers travel under their own
names and if they had false passports would need other papers to back up
their new identities.

He was commenting as Mo Mowlam, the Cabinet Office Minister and head of the
anti-drug programmes, unveiled plans to spend an extra UKP 296 million in
the next three years. By 2003-4 the total budget would stand at UKP 996
million.

Funding for treatment will rise from UKP 234 million to UKP 401 million
over the next three years. Funds used to cut supply will go from UKP 353
million to UKP 380 million and cash spent on community initiatives will
more than double, from UKP 45 million to UKP 95 million. Education
programmes aimed at protecting young people will also grow from UKP 63
million to UKP 120 million.

Dr Mowlam said: "We are making progress but we are under no illusions that
we have a long way to go."