Global drug gangs in Asia
Opium production has increased massively in the last 4 years in Burma and is eclipsing that in all other south East Asian countries.
As a result, governments need to do more to tackle the threat of transnational organized crime according to the UN.
This illicit drug production threat is growing faster than the ability of law enforcement to keep up.
The United Nations claims that there is an urgent need for government bodies to fight these criminal gangs, their ringleaders and mafia networks.
These threats are to governments, societies, their economies and development, peace and even their sovereignty.
(Source: Age newspaper 18 October 2010 and United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime at www.unodc.org)
DRUG ADVISORY COUNCIL COMMENTS-
High drug demand in Australia is driving the supply of opium based drugs and makes us a target for these transnational criminals.
This is why illicit drug use cannot be seen as a health issue without any other social, political, border and legal consequences.
Diversion into rehabilitation of any identified illicit drug users is in line with Australia's obligations in our signed international treaties.
With Burma on Australia's doorstep now a major opium producer we need to starve drug money going to these criminal groups via money laundering.
To deal with the consequences of this high demand and its organized crime traffickers our identified illicit drug users need to be diverted into rehabilitation to get them free of their drug use.
THE DRUG ADVISORY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA SUPPORTS-
More detoxification & rehabilitation that gets illicit drug users drug free.
Court ordered and supervised detoxification & rehabilitation.
Less illicit drug users, drug pushers and drug related crimes.
38/2010
