DRUGS HAUL HAS NOT SOLVED WIDER CRISIS

The recent seizure of pounds 8 million worth of drugs in Amsterdam
would have only a short-term impact on the Dublin drugs scene, the
Assistant Garda Commissioner, Mr Jim McHugh, said last night. He said
the long-term solution to the drugs problem was to reduce demand
through treatment and education.

The Amsterdam haul, which included 100,000 ecstasy tablets and 600 kg
of cannabis, was the largest seizure by the Garda National Drugs Unit
from Irish criminals based on the continent. Some 15 firearms were
also recovered in the raid on apartments used by the gang.

Mr McHugh said most people involved in drugs came from deprived
backgrounds, with poor education and low self-esteem.

"The seizures will have an impact in the short term but in the long
term it's questionable because the reality is that as long as there's
a demand there for drugs there will always be people ready and willing
to supply them because it's a very lucrative business," he said.

"Really, the way to tackle the whole drugs problem is through demand
reduction and that has to be done through treatment and education. If
the demand is not there for drugs, it does not matter how many
traffickers you have, because if they haven't a market they'll go away."

Asked about the concerns of relatives of the Omagh bomb victims
following this week's remarks by the Garda Commissioner that the
perpetrators would probably not be brought to justice, Mr McHugh said
it was "absolutely certain that the Commissioner and the Garda will
continue to do all they can to bring those people to justice".

Mr McHugh was speaking at the launch in Ballymun in Dublin of a crime
prevention alliance i and business people in north Dublin. This is
aimed at combating crime through the sharing of information between
local gardai and staff at shopping centres, the airport, hospitals and
Dublin City University