$400M IN HEROIN UP IN SMOKE

The almost 400 kilograms of heroin transported by boat from Hong Kong to
Port Macquarie two months ago was incinerated yesterday.

The high-grade heroin, estimated to be worth $400 million, was enough for
between 8 million and 12 million "hits".

It took less than 20 minutes for the drug to be "vaporised" in a
high-temperature incinerator at an industrial complex at Silverwater, in
Sydney's south-west, watched by the Federal Justice and Customs Minister,
Senator Vanstone, and the Australian Federal Police Commissioner, Mr Mick
Palmer.

Senator Vanstone said later that it was "worth reflecting on, particularly
at this time of the year, the misery to drug users and their families that
this number of hits would have caused, and the cost to the community in
health and other services".

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski