EURO MOVE TO GET TOUGH WITH DRUG BARONS AS PROBLEM GROWS

New measures to fight international drug barons were agreed on by the
European Union yesterday.

But new figures from the World Customs Organisation show the scale of
the task ahead.

In 1999, customs officers and police around the world captured 4,250
tonnes of narcotics, which would have been worth around pounds 50
billion to criminals on the street.

Most of the seizures are high bulk cannabis shipments, weighing in at
3,800 tonnes. The cocaine haul amounted to 420 tonnes. However, just
36 tonnes of heroin was found in time.

Yet, the seizures are just a percentage of what gets through. Every
year, the production level grows.

"Globalisation is a hallmark of today's world and the traffic in
narcotic drugs and psychotropics (such as ecstasy) is no exception,"
the WCO said in Brussels yesterday. Afghanistan is still the leading
producer of opium, growing 77% of the world's crop.

But, for the first time, customs officers have made seizures in
Africa. Every 10 tonnes of opium eventually makes one tonne of pure
heroin.

In 1999, drugs agencies believe that 6,000 tonnes of opium was grown
worldwide. "The average quantity seized has declined. Nearly 48% of
all seizures are below 1 kilogram," admitted a World Customs
Organisation (WCO) official yesterday.

Once the biggest customer of the cocaine cartels in Colombia, Peru and
Bolivia, the United States, consuming 2,498 tonnes, now lags in second
place behind Europe, which accounts for 2,504 tonnes.

Divided 65%, 26% and 9% between Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, the US
bound cocaine goes by sea via Central America and The Caribbean.

The main route into Europe is via Spain and The Netherlands. Morocco
is still the main offender for cannabis growing. More than 600 tonnes
of cannabis resin from there was seized in Europe during 1999, ahead
of production from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

So called psychotropic drugs, such as ecstasy, amphetamines, and
metamphetamines, are an increasingly serious problem, according to the
WCO. "Depending on the substance, seizures were between two and 10
times higher than in 1998. With many new illicit substances, Europe is
now the supplier of ecstasy," it went on.

Seizures of metamphetamines are 6,000 times higher now than they were
in 1995. Ecstasy hauls are up 10 times on their 1994 levels,
amphetamine discoveries are 16 times above what they were then.

The tracking of the chemicals used to make these drugs - which are
known as precursors - is now a key element of the fight by customs and
police forces throughout the world.

A new response must be given if there is still to be a hope of
defeating this scourge," the WCO warned.