Pubdate: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 Source: Australian, The (Australia) Copyright: 2003 News Limited Contact: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/35 Author: James Madden and AAP Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) HEROIN SURGE TIED TO END OF TALIBAN The overthrow of the Taliban has caused Melbourne's illegal heroin trade to flourish, says a government minister. Victorian Police Minister Andre Haermeyer said the greater supply of heroin on the city's streets was the result of a 21-fold increase in the Afghan poppy crop since the fall of the Taliban last year. The fundamentalist Islamic Taliban regime had cut the country's annual poppy crop to 185 tonnes before the September 11 terrorist attacks but it had increased to 3400 tonnes since the regime was overthrown, Mr Haermeyer said. The Howard Government needed to pressure the US to strangle the heroin trade within Afghanistan, he said. But federal Justice Minister Chris Ellison said reports of an increase in heroin in Victoria were largely anecdotal. Concerns over increased opium production failed to recognise that most of Afghanistan's heroin went to the US and Europe, he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager