(Note: Main points only slightly edited. Direct speech given in quotes. pd)

55% OF SMUGGLED COCAINE WORLD WIDE BEING TRANSPORTED BY EXPRESS SERVICES

According to German Customs authorities, private transport services are
being used "to a considerable extent" for the international transport of
illegal drugs. The trend is clear: according to current estimates the sharp
rise in the use of Express services and the quick turn around in the
exchange of goods has led to a lessening of risk. This in turn has led to
the rise in demand for such services by international drug smugglers.

Peter Zimmermann, director of the Customs criminal investigation bureau for
the ZKA, the war on drugs section of German Customs, gave "Die Welt" the
following figures for 1997: of the total European air-freight traffic,
around 40% was done by couriers, 27% by air-freight and 33% by parcel post.

55% of the smuggled cocaine discovered was being transported by express
services; 11% by air freight and 34% by parcel-post. The figures for
marihuana were: 40% express services; 38% air freight, 12% parcel post.

Heroin figures were: 66% by air freight; 22% private transport services,
and 12% parcel post. As against that, 88% of the hashish was being
transported by air-freight.

Zimmermann praised the cooperation of the private freight services with the
authorities, saying that special agreements had been entered into with, for
example, UPS, FedEx and DHL. These had led to successful outcomes in the
struggle to contain smuggling.

Hans-Werner Gabriel, UPS Director of Import and Customs Affairs for Europe,
the Middle East and Africa, said that in accordance with the agreement
reached with the federal finance ministry, particulars of dates, senders,
goods and receivers would be placed at the disposal of the disposal of
customs before the entry of the goods into Germany. This made "a
substantial contribution to the successful discovery of the illegal goods".

Gabriel said that this close cooperation was responsible for the success
UPS had had in making their services "unsafe and unattractive" for drug
couriers, drug cartels and other criminal organisations.

Die Welt 1998

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski