DRUG THREAT ON NT TRAINS

Authorities fear the Adelaide-to-Darwin rail link will open up a drug
corridor from Asia to Australia's south.

Police and customs have begun intelligence-based operations in readiness
for the first freight train journey on January 15. They fear illicit drugs
such as heroin and amphetamines will be transported from boats or planes at
Darwin and brought to South Australia via the railway for distribution to
the eastern states. Detective Chief Superintendent Denis Edmonds,
officer-in-charge of Crime Services in SA, said police had identified the
railway as an opportunity for crime syndicates from South-East Asia. "We
have made the appreciation that it is obviously an avenue that the
organised crime people will have thought about," he said. "The rail
provides organised crime with the opportunity to transport contraband
between the top of Australia and down through SA and the eastern states."
Chief Supt Edmonds said police would work closely with Customs and the
Australian Federal Police to monitor the rail line when it opened. He said
while most drug smuggling occurred through the eastern states, there had
been several significant heroin seizures in Darwin. "Various syndicates
have their own transportation methods," he said. "Our intelligence suggests
that most of the heroin comes into Australia and finishes up being
distributed throughout the Eastern seaboard, but if you go back in history
there were a few significant seizures in Darwin. "While most of our
amphetamine output is homegrown, there is an opportunity to import
amphetamines from that part of the world and there is also an opportunity
to import chemicals for amphetamine production. "Customs obviously have
trouble examining every piece of cargo. "It is an opportunity for organised
crime." Customs corporate communication manager Chris Schofield said
officials would continue to monitor the importation of drugs into Darwin
closely. "Customs is fully aware of the potential for drug smuggling and
the importation of other prohibited products through Darwin," he said. The
Adelaide-to-Darwin railway is the longest north-south rail line in the
world and connects Australia's economic heartland with Asia. The freight
service will operate five times a week and is expected to carry 800,000
tonnes a year by 2007. A passenger service, which will take 48 hours to
travel from Adelaide to Darwin, begins on February 1.