Pubdate: Tue, 01 Apr 2003 Source: Otago Daily Times (New Zealand) Copyright: Allied Press Limited, 2003 Contact: http://www2.odt.co.nz Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/925 Author: NZPA MORE BORDER PROTECTION Auckland: Border protection is being beefed up amid a warning overseas-based trans-national crime groups have been targeting New Zealand. Customs Minister Rick Barker yesterday announced funding for the Custom Service's illicit drugs enforcement unit, previously at $2.5 million, had been boosted by $1.9 million. He said the extra money would help drug teams in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to be proactive - take action based on intelligence rather than reacting to events. It would allow for 12 more specialist investigators and four intelligence analysts to be employed. "The use of illicit drugs worldwide is a mounting problem and New Zealand is no exception," Mr Barker said. "We have an increasing hard drug problem here, fuelled from both domestic and imported supply, and Customs needs to be better equipped to meet this problem." He said the problem confronting Customs officers was made more difficult by the increase in travellers, mail and imported goods. Customs national investigations manager Matt Roseingrave said a significant trend was the way overseas crime groups were focusing on New Zealand. The announcement of increased funding coincided with the release of Project Horizon , a document that looked at the New Zealand drug scene and at Customs' enforcement strategies. The report found use of amphetamine-type substances here was surging, methamphetamine (speed) in particular. The report described Ecstasy as the other fast-emerging drug of abuse in New Zealand, with most of it being imported.