Chiral Posted December 15, 2009 YOUNG Australian backpackers are becoming self-employed drug runners, lured to the high-risk crime by the lucrative profits to be made at home. A review of air passenger travel by the Australian Federal Police has found young travellers were trying to return to Australia with small amounts of drugs, predominantly MDMA or ecstasy bought overseas, usually in England and the Netherlands, The Daily Telegraph reports. According to a senior AFP agent, such drug-running had in the past been an ad-hoc enterprise conducted by seasoned overseas travellers. However the rising value of the drugs in Australia compared to their cost overseas had led to concerted efforts to import drugs by many "ordinary" backpackers wanting to pay off debts or fund further travel. As revealed in The Daily Telegraph yesterday, a confidential internal AFP report dated this month warned that Australia was now the "target" of international drug cartels with narcotics worth more here per kilogram than anywhere else in the world. The report revealed a kilogram of cocaine in Australia was now worth $190,000, as much as six times the cost in the US, were a similar amount sold for between $30,000 and $35,000. The quantities being found on the returning backpackers are relatively small, sometimes just a few tabs of MDMA, which is more commonly known as ecstasy. But the AFP have recorded the phenomena in a threat assessment as a worrying trend encouraged by the lucrative illicit drugs market. While drugs such as cocaine were on the rise, MDMA and ice were constantly popular stimulants, particularly in the nightclub scene. "We get a lot of MDMA now coming out of Europe and particularly places like London and Holland," the AFP agent, who asked not to be named, said. "They are Australian backpackers deciding they can buy an MDMA tablet for £2 and sell it in Australia for $30." The agent said drugs were a constant threat but resources were directed to areas of emerging trends. "Drugs will always be in use in Australia. Our role is to minimise harm. We evaluate threats proactively, placing ourselves so as to combat those threats." SOURCE Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FancyPants Posted December 15, 2009 There's not a chance in this world I'd ever risk running drugs into or out of Australia for monetary gain. I can't quite understand the mindset of those who do. *monetary gain solely. Not including threats of harm to family or friends or some other bribery instance like that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
C_T Posted December 16, 2009 how is a handful of drugs going to fund a holiday? lol slightly putting this out of proportion me thinks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
