BLITZ FAILS TO HALT DRUG FLOW

AUSTRALIA'S biggest ever heroin haul had not dented local supply of the
drug, Australian Federal police Commissioner Mick Palmer admitted yesterday.

The seizure last month of 400kg of heroin with a street value of $400
million led to the arrests of 18 people and was among the largest heroin
hauls in the world, Mr Palmer said.

But despite the size of the seizure, heroin prices had not risen and there
did not appear to be shortage of the drug in Australia, he said.

Mr Palmer said it would have been optimistic to have expected the seizure to
have impacted in Australia.

"But to give up because you don't see in the first instance an impact would
be stupidity," Mr Palmer said.

Mr Palmer discussed the issue of drugs after giving the keynote speech on
the third and final day of the International Conference on Drugs and Young
People held in Melbourne.

The nation's police chief could not say if the heroin seized from a NSW
beach on October 14 had already been replaced in Australia.

"Certainly, the indications are we haven't made much dent on the market," he
said.

"I don't think there is much sign of stockpiling in this country, but there
is a sign it is pretty easy to replace lost stock and that's a challenge for
us."

Mr Palmer said he was confident law enforcement efforts would impact on
Australia's drug problem.

"This is a real market with real suppliers and real users," he said.

"Like any other market, if you keep cutting away at supply, particularly in
regard to heroin, you obviously have to make a difference, just as if you
cut supply of any other commodity."

Checked-by: Don Beck