`DRUG' CAFES FOIL POLICE STING

NSW police yesterday raided cafes in Sydney's Kings Cross suspected of
dealing drugs to customers, but came out empty-handed.

The police drug unit took sniffer dogs into five cafes in and around
Roslyn St which a Sydney newspaper claimed sold marijuana.

They also investigated several other premises but were unable to find
any illicit substances, a police spokesman said.

Police said an archaic piece of legislation was stymieing efforts by
the force to act against the premises themselves rather than
individuals.

Assistant Commissioner Dick Adams established a special strike force
yesterday to tackle the cafe drug trade in Kings Cross. However, he
said the squad's hands were tied by the outdated law.

"We don't have any specific power under the Drug Misuse and Traffic
Act or any other legislation to close down premises that we suspect
are dealing in drugs," he said.

Police can only act against premises under the Disorderly Houses Act
which was passed more than 50 years ago and cannot deal with modern
problems, Commander Adams said.

Commander Adams said police had been aware of drug dealing in the
cafes for more than a year and had made several arrests.

However, he added that police had been unable to act against the
premises themselves because of the legislation.

"Of course I think it's unreasonable, so does the Police Commissioner
and the Police Minister," he said.

"However we need to present the very best case to the Supreme Court
... so that we can be confident that the premises will close down."

Commander Adams admitted that he had formed the strike force to
bolster public confidence in the police service.

But he denied that the forming of the force was an admission that
police had not done enough in the past.

"That's not an admission at all," he said.

Commander Adams said he was still hopeful that the premises would be
closed down by the end of the week.

"As soon as we have enough evidence we're going to put that before the
Supreme Court and ask that these premises be declared disorderly
houses under that legislation," he said.

"I'm hoping that we'll be able to do that within the next couple of
days."

Independent MP Clover Moore said the situation had confirmed her fears
about the crisis in police numbers.

NSW Special Minister of State John Della Bosca said the cafes' open
dealing of cannabis vindicated the Government's decision not to
legalise the drug.