TENNESSEE WAGES WAR ON DRUG TRAFFICKING

A report released earlier this week showed that over $22 million of illegal
drugs were seized last year by Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) drug
agents or officers from other agencies cooperating with them. The report
detailed the work of the TBI's Drug Investigation Division and outlined the
agency's goals for the work of the coming year as the state continues its
war on illegal drug trafficking. The report said the TBI has placed
emphasis on enforcement of higher levels of organization within the drug
trafficking world.

The Bureau is also concentrating on seizures of so called "club drugs" like
Ecstasy, illegal use of the prescription painkiller OxyContin, and on
shutting down the growing number of methamphetamine labs. Seizures of club
drugs have grown over the last calendar year, particularly MDMA, which is
more often referred to as the rave drug Ecstasy. The TBI seized 28,310
doses of MDMA last year. MDMA has deadly side effects, including raising
the abuser's body temperature as high as 107 degrees and can cause
permanent neurological damage, coma or death. The war on methamphetamine
has accelerated over the past few years, as Tennessee is becoming the
distribution center for this dangerous drug which has also been called "the
poor man's cocaine." According to the TBI officials, this is partially due
to the state's prime location as a crossroads to the nation's highways, a
factor which makes Tennessee a highly sought after distribution center for
many goods. The TBI said one of the more disturbing trends is the crossover
of this highly addictive drug from the "club drugs" abused by younger drug
users.

The TBI report defines the use of meth as a serious problem in Tennessee.
It has seized 23 meth labs in 1997, 66 in 1998, 85 in 2000 and 95 in 2001.
Additionally, local law enforcement agencies working with the federal Drug
Enforcement Agency (DEA) has reported seizures in the state from 42 labs in
1998 to a staggering 650 labs as of September 2001. The TBI will also focus
on the initiation of intelligence gathering and enforcement efforts to
evaluate the threat posed by the illegal diversion of OxyContin. It is
becoming a major problem as law enforcement officers report that heroin
abusers are obtaining it because the pharmaceutical drug offers similar
properties. It is an opiate that acts like morphine.

The most widely used diversion technique at the street level is "doctor"
shopping.

Legislation is presently pending in the General Assembly to gather
information on the state of this drug. The Drug Unit also seized over
59,000 grams of powder cocaine, 4,014 grams of crack cocaine, 3,203 pounds
of marijuana, and 4,976 doses of illegally used prescription drugs. Law
enforcement and corrections officials have testified before the Committee
that 85 percent of all violent crimes and property crimes can be traced
back to the illegal drug use of trafficking. The TBI's Drug Investigation
Division currently has 42 special agents.

The Division's goal is to eventually field at least 100 agents statewide.

However, the TBI has asked for nine additional agents in this year's budget.