MORE BORDER PROTECTION

Auckland: Border protection is being beefed up amid a warning
overseas-based trans-national crime groups have been targeting New Zealand.

Customs Minister Rick Barker yesterday announced funding for the Custom
Service's illicit drugs enforcement unit, previously at $2.5 million, had
been boosted by $1.9 million.

He said the extra money would help drug teams in Auckland, Wellington and
Christchurch to be proactive - take action based on intelligence rather
than reacting to events.

It would allow for 12 more specialist investigators and four intelligence
analysts to be employed. "The use of illicit drugs worldwide is a mounting
problem and New Zealand is no exception," Mr Barker said.

"We have an increasing hard drug problem here, fuelled from both domestic
and imported supply, and Customs needs to be better equipped to meet this
problem."

He said the problem confronting Customs officers was made more difficult by
the increase in travellers, mail and imported goods.

Customs national investigations manager Matt Roseingrave said a significant
trend was the way overseas crime groups were focusing on New Zealand. The
announcement of increased funding coincided with the release of Project
Horizon , a document that looked at the New Zealand drug scene and at
Customs' enforcement strategies.

The report found use of amphetamine-type substances here was surging,
methamphetamine (speed) in particular.

The report described Ecstasy as the other fast-emerging drug of abuse in
New Zealand, with most of it being imported.