Pubdate: Fri, 08 Mar 2002 Source: Herald, The (UK) Copyright: 2002 The Herald Contact: http://www.theherald.co.uk/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/189 Author: Chris Holme BARONS NOW DEAL DIRECTLY WITH DRUG SUPPLIERS SCOTTISH drug barons are now dealing directly in Europe and South America to get heroin and cocaine, the head of the National Criminal Intelligence Service in Scotland said yesterday. Detective Superintendent Andy Archibald said improved intelligence in the last two years showed the usual supply routes to Glasgow from London and Liverpool were being bypassed. "We should be in no doubt that we have the criminals in Scotland who have the credibility, the networks, and the ability to go to Europe and South America to source class A drugs in other countries. "This is controlled from Scotland and it is financed from Scotland and the ultimate direction of these drugs will be Scotland," he said. An estimated five tonnes of heroin and up to four tonnes of cocaine arrive in Scotland each year. Mr Archibald said there was also a secondary supply route reaching Edinburgh, Dundee, and Aberdeen via the north east of England. He was speaking at the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos) conference in Dunblane where Richard Simpson, the deputy justice minister, signalled an end to the authoritarian approach to young people using illegal drugs. A similar change was also announced yesterday for England by the Home Office in new guidelines for the drugs scene in nightclubs. Dropping its previous hardline stance, it told club owners how to minimise the effects of inevitable abuse of drugs like ecstasy and manage it better. Bob Ainsworth, the drugs minister, said: "If we cannot stop them from taking drugs, then we must be prepared to take steps to reduce the harm that they may cause themselves. "Although drug use has stabilised nationally, unfortunately for many young club-goers illegal drug use has become an integral part of their night out." He added: "Club owners and dance promoters have a duty to make sure that they have done everything possible to reduce the risks faced by the young people who are their paying customers. We have to recognise that some clubbers will continue to ignore the risks and carry on taking dangerous drugs." The new guidelines include supplying drinking water for users of ecstasy and training for club staff. Eddie Tobin, chairman of the Glasgow Nightclub Forum, which has 52 members said it was a case of the government catching up on reality and on good practice already in operation. "For many years nightclubs have been an easy, soft target for any politician. The reality is that drugs are present throughout society," he said. The new guidelines were welcomed by Alan and Liz Spinks, whose 19-year-old daughter Lorna died after taking ecstasy before visiting a nightclub in Cambridge. "They will help to reduce the likelihood of a crisis occurring, help with its early detection and improve reaction in the critical period immediately afterwards," Mr Spinks said. However, Janet Betts, whose daughter Leah was killed by drugs, said she had severe reservations about the Home Office's new approach. Detective Chief Inspector Ralph Noble of the Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency, told the Acpos conference that crack cocaine was the up and coming drug in Scotland and dealers were running very sophisticated operations. "Scottish criminals are demonstrating business acumen, business organisation and ex-panding into other areas. They are not bound by the shores of the United Kingdom," he said. Such wide networks also laid them open to attack. Last year there were 150 arrests and 18m UKP in drug seizures. Dr Simpson said agreement had been reached with the Treasury for the executive to use half of the proceeds of assets seized from dealers. The first allocation of 250,000 UKP is to go to help homeless drug users in Glasgow. He said the executive would be investigating novel approaches to drugs policy from abroad - as it already head in introducing drugs courts in Glasgow. "We must keep an open mind about what works. Dismissing something because it does not happen here is simply not good enough," Dr Simpson added. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh