Heroin prosecutions soar

Press, 18 April 1979, Page 6

Heroin prosecutions soar

PA Wellington The number of heroin prosecutions in New Zealand courts has almost doubled in the last three months, according to figures released by the police yesterday. In the first three months of this year 205 heroin prosecutions were recorded in New Zealand courts. This is more than twothirds the total for the whole of last year, according to a spokesman for the police national headquarters. In addition, the 1979 total is onlv 20 fewer than the total for the whole of 1977. Of the 205 offences recorded during January,

February, and March this year, 102 were reported in the Auckland area, 19 in Wellington, and eight in Christchurch. The remaining 76 offences were divided among other centres. At the same time, the number of seizings of certain drugs has increased, police figures show. Throughout 1978, the nolice seized a total of 45.7 kg of cannabis, yet in the first three months of this year, the total has reached 35kg. Seizings of LSD and cannabis oil have increased by 300 per cent on last year’s figures in the first quarter of 1979. The police and Customs officials have seized 1114

LSD tablets this year, compared with 375 in the whole of last year, and 489 grams of cannabis oil—all in one seizing—have been confiscated this year whereas only 142 gram were seized in 1978. A total of 1535 peopl appeared on drug-relate charges in 1974. This gre\ to 3226 last year, and i the first quarter of thi year alone, 1558 offender appeared. The head of the crime directorate at police national headquarters, Detective Chief Superintendent M. T. Churches, said he believed the figures reflected two factors: One was the fact that a broader range of people — particularly middle-aged

people — were appearing on drugs-related charges, and at the same time, the increase reflected a .jepped-up effort by the dice. “Many of the convicions recorded and seizures tade are the result of tore effective anti-drug 'dicing,” said Mr Jiurches. “But while we vould like to believe this s the total explanation, I im afraid that it is not so. “We must face the fact that the drug scourge has a deadly grip on manyhundreds of young New Zealanders, and we, the police, must appeal for greater public support in light of the very real threat to thousands more,” said Mr Churches.