U.S. DRUG SEIZURES JUMP 16 PERCENT IN FISCAL 2001

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Customs Service officers seized 1.79
million pounds of illegal drugs in fiscal 2001, a 16 percent increase
over the previous year, the agency said on Monday.

"While anti-terrorism is now the No. 1 priority for all U.S. Customs
Service officers, the increased drug seizure numbers demonstrate the
skill and determination of Customs employees in interdicting all
types of contraband," Customs Service Commissioner Robert Bonner said
in a statement.

Customs officers seized about 3,622 pounds of heroin in the year
ending Sept. 30, a 41 percent increase over the previous year.

The quantity of cocaine seized by Customs increased by 28 percent in
fiscal 2001, up to 190,856 pounds from 149,108 in 2000.

Marijuana seizures grew by 16 percent, methamphetamines by 11 percent
and the amount of opiates confiscated increased by 105 percent during
the year.

Officials seized about 7 million tablets of the illegal drug MDMA,
known on the street as Ecstasy. This is down from about 9.3 million
tablets confiscated in 2000.

There was also a decrease in the amount of hashish that was seized by
Customs in the last fiscal year. Officials confiscated 777 pounds of
the drug in 2001 compared with 24,096 pounds the year before.