Pubdate: Fri,  2 Jan 2004
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Copyright: 2004 Northern Territory News
Contact:  http://ntnews.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/283

DRUG THREAT ON NT TRAINS

Authorities fear the Adelaide-to-Darwin rail link will open up a drug 
corridor from Asia to Australia's south.

Police and customs have begun intelligence-based operations in readiness 
for the first freight train journey on January 15. They fear illicit drugs 
such as heroin and amphetamines will be transported from boats or planes at 
Darwin and brought to South Australia via the railway for distribution to 
the eastern states. Detective Chief Superintendent Denis Edmonds, 
officer-in-charge of Crime Services in SA, said police had identified the 
railway as an opportunity for crime syndicates from South-East Asia. "We 
have made the appreciation that it is obviously an avenue that the 
organised crime people will have thought about," he said. "The rail 
provides organised crime with the opportunity to transport contraband 
between the top of Australia and down through SA and the eastern states." 
Chief Supt Edmonds said police would work closely with Customs and the 
Australian Federal Police to monitor the rail line when it opened. He said 
while most drug smuggling occurred through the eastern states, there had 
been several significant heroin seizures in Darwin. "Various syndicates 
have their own transportation methods," he said. "Our intelligence suggests 
that most of the heroin comes into Australia and finishes up being 
distributed throughout the Eastern seaboard, but if you go back in history 
there were a few significant seizures in Darwin. "While most of our 
amphetamine output is homegrown, there is an opportunity to import 
amphetamines from that part of the world and there is also an opportunity 
to import chemicals for amphetamine production. "Customs obviously have 
trouble examining every piece of cargo. "It is an opportunity for organised 
crime." Customs corporate communication manager Chris Schofield said 
officials would continue to monitor the importation of drugs into Darwin 
closely. "Customs is fully aware of the potential for drug smuggling and 
the importation of other prohibited products through Darwin," he said. The 
Adelaide-to-Darwin railway is the longest north-south rail line in the 
world and connects Australia's economic heartland with Asia. The freight 
service will operate five times a week and is expected to carry 800,000 
tonnes a year by 2007. A passenger service, which will take 48 hours to 
travel from Adelaide to Darwin, begins on February 1.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom