UNUSUAL SHIP SIGHTINGS ROUSE DRUG DOUBT

Australian Aerial Patrol pilots are regularly spotting ``unusual''
ships and movements they believe may be linked to heroin smuggling off
the South Coast.

``We do see things that appear to be irregular and warrant further
inquiry,'' general manager Harry Mitchell said yesterday.

These sightings included operations inshore and offshore, as well as
``objects'' on land that were not in the same place. Mr Mitchell said
the North Coast landing of illegal immigrants could just as easily
have been on the South Coast.

It was impossible to keep a tab on Australia's vast open
coastline.

``Contraband can easily be thrown off a ship off the coast and picked
up by smaller boats,'' he said.

Wollongong Lord Mayor David Campbell said yesterday it was clear
authorities were not ``attacking'' heroin imports to the level we
``could or should''. ``I have yet to be convinced that most of the
drugs come in under the cover of darkness on some remote beach. They
must be coming in via containers. The Federal Government has to show
us much more of what they are doing to prevent it.''

Illawarra MP Marianne Saliba agreed importing illegal drugs was of
major concern, especially the fact the Port Kembla Customs office was
not staffed after 5pm.

An Australian Customs Service spokesman said yesterday Port Kembla
staffing level changes had been for good operational reasons. ``We can
bring people down from Sydney very quickly if larger numbers are
required for an operation,'' he said.

Not all ships visiting the port were searched but there was a
mechanism to target suspect cargoes.

The service encouraged people to phone in anything suspicious on the
24-hour Customs Watch line 1800061800.