The broader project examined this issue in two different wayswhether the thresholds are designed to filter traffickers from users and whether they enable appropriate sanctioning of traffickers of different controlled drugs. Australian trends in ecstasy and related drug markets 2011. In the Declaration on the Rule of . http://www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/publishing. evaluate whether the trafficable thresholds allow the prosecution and the judiciary to properly distinguish drug users from traffickers; compare and contrast threshold design across Australia, taking into account interstate differences in current legal thresholds and drug markets; determine whether the problems identified with the ACT drug trafficking thresholds are common across state systems. The harm caused by illicit narcotics abuse impacts every level of society, from the person to the nation and eventually a global community. The application of such an approach provides complete control and visibility of all parts of the frontier, even in hard-to-reach places. He said this was becauseAustralia and New Zealand were small,geographically isolated markets, which pushed up the price. Two words showed something was wrong with the system, After centuries of Murdaugh rule in the Deep South, the family's power ends with a life sentence for murder, With Prince Andrew's sweetheart mansion rental ending, King Charles offers compromise that shocks his son, Flooding in southern Malaysia forces 40,000 people to flee homes. A handgun was located inside the car. "The Pacific Transnational Crime Network (PTCN) is an AFP-supported and Pacific-led transnational criminal intelligence network for Pacific law enforcement agencies, whose aim is to increase the capacity for Pacific Island law enforcement agencies to detect, investigate and disrupt transnational crime in the region. The question arisesto what extent is it reasonable to expect a drug user in such circumstances to prove the absence of trafficking or intent to traffic? The penalties for supplying drugs increase depending on the quantity of the drug supplied and if the matter is dealt with in the District Court. how these figures were setis not a calculation for which the workings are generally in the public domain, nor did some jurisdictions retain their workings out even in the private domain (Harris 2011b: 9). According to the 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), an estimated 9.0 million (43%) people aged 14 and over in Australia had illicitly used a drug at some point in their lifetime (including the non-medical use of pharmaceuticals), and an estimated 3.4 million (16.4%) had used an illicit drug in the previous 12 months. 22. Meanwhile, "narco-corruption" in the Pacific "compromised institutions and individuals across key agencies, such as customs, policeand immigration,and undermined the rule of law". Second, the drug users who find themselves at the margins of the drug trafficking thresholds are most likely to be the more marginalised users (eg more unemployed and socially disadvantaged; Stafford & Burns 2012), which reduces their capacity to successfully prevent an unjust sanction. Operation Shenzi was a joint Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and Western Australia Police Force investigation carried out in 2016, which culminated in the arrest of 14 people who were either crew members of the mother ship Mega Profit . To assist in this endeavour, all Australian states and territories have adopted legal thresholds that specify quantities of drugs over which offenders are either presumed to have possessed the drugs for the purposes of supply and liable to sanction as drug traffickers (up to 15 years imprisonment in most states), or in the case of Queensland, liable to sanctions equivalent to drug traffickers (up to 25 years imprisonment). At the same time, it was verified that such methods facilitated the detention of a smuggler at the border by gathering information and using specially trained dogs to search for narcotics (Man jailed for role in 300kg cocaine import to Victoria, 2021). Study has shown that drug use in Australia attributes to a cost of more than 4.8% of the total GDP. Those quantities deemed implausible were removed; for example, reported consumption of 20 grams of heroin which would be toxic. The group is allegedly linked to a Queensland accounting firm that caters to Spanish speakers, and an Australian man with links to the Bandidos, Mongols and Lone Wolf Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. Drug trafficking in Australia is deemed a very serious offence, one for which legislators and courts have ruled general deterrence is paramount and 'little mercy' should be shown (Clune [1989] VR 567, O'Bryan and Marks JJ, 576). The difficulty is that developing countries are usually drug producers, while progressed ones are the primary consumer market, which affects the circulation of illegal substances worldwide. By contrast, cannabis users have the least evidence of exceeding the thresholds, with no instance where a cannabis user consumes more than the trafficable quantity and only one instance where the maximum purchased exceeded the trafficable threshold quantity. "Many times, these deportees have spent most of their lives outside of their countries of origin and have grown up in Australia, New Zealand or the US," Mr Sousa-Santos said. That said, the maximum quantity consumed or purchased for personal use alone exceeded the trafficable quantity for most drug types. He said it was important "that we support initiatives back into the country to which they are being deported to ensure that they are able to integrate back into society". The AFP with drugs seized from a clandestine laboratory in July 2022.Credit: In a separate hack, the group published emails from Chiles military forces, resulting in the head of the joint chiefs of staff there, General Guillermo Paiva, resigning on September 23. Storms threaten north-east United States after tearing through the south, leaving 10 dead, In Papua New Guinea, there are no laws that prohibit the production, sale or use of methamphetamines, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in 2019 told Australia not to "deport your problems, 'Child abuse and broken families': Tonga weighing up death penalty in fight against drugs, Cocaine, meth use 'overwhelming' as Tongans head to the polls, Canberra coach Ricky Stuart slams NRL, RLPA following further concussion controversy, 'How dare they': Possum Magic author hits out at 'ridiculous' Roald Dahl edits, 'Dastardly and heinous crime': Philippines governor killed at home by unknown gunmen, Vanuatu hit by two cyclones and twin earthquakes in two days, Emily was studying law when she had to go to court. UK nationals charged with trafficking drugs into Australia. The Barristers; Courts we attend; Community Corrections NSW . Sevigny EL & Caulkins JP 2006. However, drug trafficking examples can also concern prescription drugs that people tend to abuse, like Xanax, Adderall, oxycodone and Vicodin. street value of $225 million, has been seized before getting to Australia. Inspectors face the operational hurdle of including the exponential increases in contract sizes with only a restricted number of workforce and tools of their control. Based on the report released by the National Drug Strategy Household Survey or NDSHS, an estimated 16.4% or about 3.4 million of the total population in Australia had used an illicit drug in the previous 12 months.And it had spent 11.3 billion illicitly on substance abuse in 2020 based on the drug use trends in Australia. The detainee was interrogated, and his phone was examined to find his accomplices. (2021). "This has contributed to rising addiction amongst locals and the emergence of a local drug network.". As law obligations, manpower, and technology means progress, smugglers connected with the illicit trade change their compliance policies (Hughes et al., 2020). Therefore, another critical strategy at the international level is to maintain and develop a collective policy to prevent drug trafficking. Specific goals of relevance for this paper were to: The method replicated the approach of Hughes and Ritter (in press). This led to removal of 27 percent (n=237) of the national IDRS sample (n=868) and 28 percent (n=160) of the national EDRS sample (n=574). It is significant to regard that the bulk of drug trafficking occurs across the sea border. Two additional solutions are suggested. A., Hughes, C. E., Bright, D. A., & Ritter, A. The article states that the successful opening of the drug business system is a continuation of the victorious action against drug trafficking and its importation into Australia. Drug laws in Australia are complex - some laws are federal, while others are state or territory based. February 16, 2023. https://studycorgi.com/high-level-drug-trafficking-in-australia/. The report's author, Jose Sousa-Santos,saidthe street value formethamphetamine and cocaine in Australia and New Zealand was among the highestin the world. March 19, 2012 -- The international swimsuit model accused of being the mastermind of a worldwide drug ring run out of a Hollywood apartment has been arrested in Australia after skipping out on . Since 2021, more than 250kg of Afghan-produced methamphetamine, with an estimated. Other items used to conceal the cocaine include large bolts, engine parts, shampoo and face creams. "Australia and New Zealand's prolific and high-profile organised crimenetworks including outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCGs) haveexpanded their activities offshore and into the Pacific. The first solution is to abolish the deemed supply provisionsto place the onus back on the prosecutor to prove trafficking intent (or intent for preparation for trafficking) based on evidence such as scales, multiple bags, telephone records, etc. Two people were charged with drug trafficking and money laundering following a police investigation that uncovered a handgun, drugs and nearly a million dollars in cash. It is one of the most critical challenges for customs, border, and law enforcement officials. [2] The upper quantities were checked with a number of key experts (n=6) to verify if they were within the maximum range that could be consumed in a single continuous session of use without sleep. In one case, the AFP is hunting a drug kingpin who is living in luxury after fleeing Perth for Colombia, leaving behind a string of still-operating businesses here. To provide added surety that estimates were derived from users not user-dealers, purchase amounts from offenders who reported any dealing for cash profit in the last month were excluded. A joint U.S. and Australian law enforcement operation busted an international drug ring after intercepting 2.4 tonnes of cocaine aboard a vessel off the coast of South America that had been bound . KATHMANDU, March 4: The Australian Federal Police has arrested two Nepali youths for their involvement in drug trafficking. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. Third, it is known that an unjustified conviction for dealing will often impose social and individual harms which far exceed the harm associated with the drug in question (MCCOC 1998b: 87). These border controlled drugs and precursors, along with offences and penalties can be located under Part 9 Section 307 Criminal Code Act 1995. Concern is that without legal thresholds, there would be more opportunity for prosecutorial and sentencing abuse, leading to more adverse sentencing outcomes (such as sanctioning traffickers for simple possession or Mr Bigs with overly lenient terms). He has pleaded guilty to 50 offences including drug trafficking and money laundering. The implication is that even if the current legal threshold system helps to convict and sanction drug traffickers, it may be placing Australian drug users at risk of unjustified charge or sanction. The study which claims to be an Australian first, is called 'The Child Next Door.' It examines the issue of child exploitation and trafficking in Queensland and looks into the way children are mistreated. Drug trafficking is selling, transporting, or importing illegal drugs. The fentanyl . He will be sentenced at a later date. In August 2018, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) published a report that detailed some of the groups money laundering and drug trafficking activities. Australia is seen as an attractive target for criminal organisations involved in maritime drug trafficking due to the high price of drugs in Australia, and high demand for drugs in Australia. One key takeaway from the figures presented in the report is that the Australian drug trade is large and growing. For each state, the ability of the legal threshold to successfully filter out drug users from drug traffickers (ie the reasonableness of the assumption that all who exceed the trafficable threshold warrant severe charge/sanction for trafficking) was examined using two metrics of the quantity of drug a user is likely to possess for personal use alone: Metric 1: User patterns of use; that is, quantity of drugs that a user is likely to possess for a single session of personal use. Australians' meth, cocaine use leading to growing drug-related problems across Pacific, says report. In so doing, it is feared that thresholds reduce the capacity to sanction drug traffickers on the basis of their intended or actual harm. 1. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade leads diplomatic engagement on these issues and also provides practical cooperation and assistance to help counter trafficking and smuggling in our region. It is important to note that UNODC is not only a development agency although many of its programs provide development-related benefits. Another challenge occurs at the international level and concerns the difficulty in coordinating efforts between national customs authorities. Hughes C & Ritter A in press. In Papua New Guinea, there are no laws that prohibit the production, sale or use of methamphetamines, making it a key location to transit drugs to Australia. OReilly, M. J. Many countries explicitly avoid their use (eg France). Opponents of legal thresholds also argue that they may unwittingly provide perverse incentives for high-level traffickers to modify their behaviour to reduce their risk of severe sanction (through, for example ensuring mules hold their drugs rather than themselves). When these drugs land in Australia - up to 70 per cent are connected to Myanmar they are potentially fetching upwards of wholesale $100,000 per kilogram. DPMP is funded by the Colonial Foundation Trust. Australia is strongly committed to countering people smuggling and human trafficking. The use of illicit drugshas been steadily increasing in Australia and New Zealand, even as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted supply chains,according to the report releasedon Thursday. A woman has admitted to heading up a major drug trafficking network busted by police in dramatic raids in 2019. . Current responses to the drug problem. The leak contains details of 35 Australian Federal Police operations, some ongoing, as well as surveillance reports from undercover agents, phone taps and payroll records for Colombian law enforcement officers. For more information on the penalties that apply in your state, refer to the state and territory . This problem requires the effective operation of border authorities, and the globalization of drug importation sets new goals for them. Australian authorities shared intelligence with their Colombian counterparts relating to the kingpins distribution of methamphetamine, MDMA and heroin trafficked into Perth via criminal networks in the Middle East and South-East Asia. Such a question has particular importance for three reasons. Hughes, C. E., Chalmers, J., & Bright, D. A. If Australia starts moving from criminal to civil penalties for drugs, the thresholds for drug offences will need to be raised and the severity of criminal sanctions reduced. SYDNEY (Reuters) - Dutch authorities have arrested 57-year old Canadian national Tse Chi Lop at the request of the Australia Federal Police after a long probe into drug trafficking in . The possibility of being detected and apprehended by customs and law enforcement authorities forces illegal groups to resort to special purchase costs associated with additional disguises and cover-ups. Dealing and trafficking in illegal drugs (like heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis) are serious criminal offences. A recent drug arrest in Australia has links to South Africa. Australian drug trafficking laws: guilty until proven innocent? The series follows Lagac, who was labelled as a "major drug dealer," and her life back in Canada after she spent several years in prison in Australia. For example, according to the statistical data, Australians spent approximately $5.8 billion on methamphetamine and $470 million on heroin in 2020 (Hughes et al., 2020). Learn about common drug offences, medicinal use of illicit drugs, drugs and driving, and workplace drug testing. As the country enters the current decade, it has the ambition of becoming a modern . Most Australian states and territories employ three different thresholdsa trafficable threshold (that distinguishes crimes of low-level trafficking versus possession for personal use), a commercial threshold and a large commercial threshold (Hughes 2010b). This is particularly true in this case as, across all states, it is users of MDMA who are most at risk of unjustified sanctiona drug that when compared across both licit and illicit drugs has been shown to be least likely to cause crime or health and societal harm (Nutt, King & Phillips 2010). Police estimate the meth's street value at $1.1 billion, which reflects the higher prices that Australians pay for illicit drugs than users do in many comparable countries. (2023, February 16). Moreover, when there is a suspicion that a certain person may be transporting narcotics, it produces a prompt response. Application to the ACT setting showed that the current thresholds created risks of unjustified sanction of users as traffickers and that by virtue of their lower values, the proposed Model Criminal Code thresholds, if adopted, would pose greater risks (particularly for users of methamphetamine; Hughes & Ritter in press). Exploring interrelationships between high-level drug trafficking and other serious and organised crime: an Australian study. Web. International Journal of Drug Policy, 67, 63-71. Due to the undercover nature and absence of provable data on this issue, it is challenging to estimate the market area of the trade with perfect correctness (Hughes et al., 2020). There has been an increasing push for all states and territories to adopt the proposed threshold quantities (AGD 2011; NDS 2007). Concealment techniques for the drugs often change but the use of clothing items to conceal drugs is a feature of the syndicates methods, the documents reveal. This increases the likelihood that existing thresholds will have unintended and undesirable policy outcomes. In a statement, they said their motivation is to target mining and oil companies, military and police systems in Mexico, Peru, El Salvador, Chile, Colombia and elsewhere to sabotage corporations and systems they said exploit natural resources and support US interests. StudyCorgi. Second, the methods by which existing quantitative thresholds have been devised have been largely ad hoc and non-transparent. . It blamed the deportation policies of Australia, New Zealand and the United States for "exacerbating crime and addiction within Pacific nations". Metric 2: User patterns of purchasing; that is, quantity of drugs that a user is likely to purchase for personal use. The cases of several Australians potentially facing the death penalty in China for drug trafficking are centred around the southern province of Guangdong, a notorious hub for methamphetamine . This study was conducted at the Drug Policy Modelling Program (DPMP), which is located at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), the University of New South Wales. The syndicate also has the ability to impregnate cocaine into items like plastic tables and mobile phones. It is difficult to definitively estimate what proportion and how often users are placed at risk of unjustified charge or sanction. It uses a complex structure of interconnected companies to assist in the placement, distribution and integration of the proceeds of crime with company directors who are direct family members including his brother with an interest in 14 companies, the ACIC said. methamphetamine is the most used and trafficked drug controlled by criminal organizations that produce it; crystal methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy), cannabis products, heroin, ketamine, and Erimin 5 (nimetazepam) are smuggled into the country; a transit point for trafficking cocaine and other drugs to the Australian market