Surge in illegal online purchases by drug users leads to record haul
We’re used to having food and clothes delivered straight to our door, and authorities believe people are so comfortable ordering online they’re now using it to buy drugs, thinking it’s not as illegal as meeting a dealer in a dark alley. And it’s helped them seize a record amount.
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A record haul of dangerous drugs has been seized in Australia as more people turn to the web to order illegal substances every day.
The illicit drug report by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission revealed 30.6 tonnes of illegal drugs was intercepted in the 2017-18 financial year.
The amphetamines, MDMA, cocaine and heroin seized had an estimated street value of $5 billion.
Authorities believe some users, accustomed to having their food and fashion delivered using online services, are also using criminal pockets of the internet to order drugs to their homes.
The practice is thought to be increasingly common for “criminal entrepreneurs” who buy for themselves and small groups of friends.
Head of ACIC’s high risk and emerging drugs determination, Shane Neilson, said the “phenomenon” was difficult to track because of the smaller package sizes.
“It removes the need to have a meeting with a local drug dealer,” Mr Neilson said.
“What they are doing is following a process that they have become instinctively comfortable with.
“People would like to blur the line in their own minds but that’s a disillusion. It’s still supplying and importing serious drugs. You’re still at risk for the same penalties.”
Intercepts of international mail accounted for 98.9 per cent of MDMA imports, 94.1 per cent of cocaine imports and 83.9 per cent of cannabis imports.
Despite the move by some to cut out the middlemen, organised crime groups still dominate the trade, according to ACIC chief executive Michael Phelan.
“Serious and organised criminals are at the centre of Australia’s illicit drug market, motivated by greed, power and profit,” Mr Phelan said.
“We know … (they) continue to generate significant profits from the sale of illicit substances, with the price paid for illicit drugs in Australia among the highest in the world.”
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Every four minutes someone is arrested in Australia for a drug-related offence and every five minutes drugs are seized by police, the ACIC report showed.
Also revealed was the changing nature of cocaine use in Australia.
Once the preserve of the nation’s high flyers, the drug has become increasingly commonplace as cocaine seizures and arrests surge to record levels.
There were 5096 seizures and 4325 arrests relating to the drug over the year.
A record 22 clandestine laboratories were also detected across the country as the quantity of precursor chemicals used increased by most than 200 per cent.
Almost 5000kg of methylamphetamine precursors were detected at Australian borders.