WE’RE CROSSING A LINE ON COKE HABIT
If demand is not curtailed we risk losing what makes Australia one of the safe st countries in the world Kirsty Schofield, AFP
AUSTRALIA’S insatiable appetite for drugs is threatening to bring in a wave of violence and corruption that will wash away our peaceful way of life.
The Australian Federal Police has warned all this is at risk unless we fundamentally change our attitude towards drugs.
Launching a campaign called Have A Conscience, the AFP detailed the environmental, social, economic and health risks associated with the use of illicit drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine or ice.
And they warned that organised criminals responsible for trafficking drugs into and around the country were the only beneficiaries of our spiralling drug issue.
“Apart from the forgotten victims and lesser-known impacts of illicit drug trafficking, the AFP is today warning that transnational serious organised criminals (TSOC) will change the way Australians live if demand for illicit drugs is not drastically reduced,’’ the AFP said.
“TSOC, including outlaw motorcycle gangs, cartels, triads and Italian organised crime, are trafficking drugs to Australia at an alarming
rate because Australia is one of the most profitable countries in the world to sell illicit drugs. Some of these syndicates order executions in Australia to protect their illicit drug trafficking business but also kill innocent Australians who are caught in their wars.
“Violence in Australian suburbs, perpetrated by outlaw motorcycle gangs and other syndicates, are often linked to illicit drug trafficking. Profitable illicit drug use facilitates corruption, undermines Australia’s economy and social security system.
“Illicit drug use makes our roads and suburbs more dangerous and puts at risk the lives of first responders and frontline workers. Nurses, paramedics, teachers and state police are faced daily with the dangers of individuals high on illicit drugs.’’
AFP Eastern Commander of Investigations Kirsty Schofield said drug harm minimisation was a priority for the AFP.
“Australia is a great country and the way we live should be jealously guarded,’’ she said.
“If demand for illicit drugs is not curtailed in Australia, we risk losing what makes Australia one of the safest countries in the world.
“We do not want to have the corruption issues faced by some other parts of the world. The AFP is launching this campaign to remind Australians that their actions, whether it is casual drug or repeated drug use, have significant and devastating consequences.’’
Operation Ironside, the police sting using the AN0M encrypted app, gave police an unprecedented insight into the scale of drug trafficking in Australia.
More than 38 tonnes of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals were seized by the AFP and its state partners last financial year.