GANGSTERS 'WILL CASH IN IF DRUG LAW EASED'

BRITAIN'S gangbusters are warning the Government that going soft on cannabis
laws will trigger a new drugs crisis.

The National Crime Squad believes that liberalisation of the law or a
relaxation on investigations would dangerously expand the cannabis trade.

Users would be encouraged to buy more and would find increasing amounts of
harder drugs on offer as well. International gangs would exploit the market,
growing richer and more powerful.

The NCS warning adds fuel to the gathering debate among police and
politicians on the future of cannabis and other soft drugs. Next month a
report from the Police Foundation, a law and order research group, may
recommend the downgrading of Ecstasy and lighter sentences for cannabis
possession.

Bob Packham , deputy director general of NCS, said that if the laws on
cannabis possession for personal use were eased or ignored, this would "free
up" the drugs market.

"If you take the brakes off possession, it might make things worse," he
said. "The message you would get is that the market is changing. There is
not going to be any hassle on the streets and the market is going to
increase further.

"Cannabis supplies to this country do not come from small-scale dealers but
big criminal organisations who are into other things as well. They will
protect their trade with severe violence."

He said the debate about cannabis laws had so far failed to take into
account the importance of organised crime. Detectives estimate that hundreds
of tonnes of cannabis enter Britain each year, distributed by leading
criminals often moving from other areas of crime because of the potential
profits.

This week, Keith Hellawell, the Government's anti-drugs co-ordinator, and
ministers repeated their call for police to concentrate on the class A drugs
heroin and cocaine, but NCS believes that it is dangerous to ignore the
trade in cannabis.

Mr Packham noted that senior ministers have made clear that there are no
plans to change the law on cannabis, but he said there was concern among
police at the growing debate outside Parliament about the future of the
drug.

He said that changing the enforcement of cannabis laws would not reduce
heroin or cocaine use. Drug syndicates no longer specialise in one drug and
have been caught smuggling and selling "cocktail" cargoes, including
cannabis, heroin, cocaine, amphetamines and Ecstasy. In the past year, NCS
has made arrests in 21 operations where gangs have been dealing in a mixture
of drugs.

The drugs mainly come from The Netherlands, where British police claim that
the relaxation of the laws on the possession of soft drugs has turned the
country into a warehouse for massive amounts of cannabis and other drugs.