TRAFFIC IN DRUGS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5157, 27 July 1927, Page 4

TRAFFIC IN DRUGS.

POWERS TO MEET IT.

PREYING ON HUMAN WRECKAGE

Tlie day is not far off (says a Sydney paper) when the way of the pandering trafficker in narcotic drugs, a path now strewn with financial rose', will be beset with legal thorns and hedged in with heavy penalties. The Royal assent was given last January to an amendment of the Police Offences Act, 1908, and certain other Acts, providing for the regulation of the manufacture, sale, possession, distribution and supply of opium, morphine, cocaine, ecgonine, heroin, and their respective salts.

Since the Act was passed officers of the Chief Secretary’s Department have been engaged in the difficult task of drawing up a set of regulations which would give the Police Department complete powers to prevent the improper use and handling of narcotics. The draft was completed recently. It is a simple fact that today it is possible for the cocaine-ped-dling jackal, who preys upon the human wreckage of society, to transact his nefarious business in the full light of day ;jnd without fear of penalty. Such a trafficker handling packages containing three-halfpence worth of cocaine, mixed with a large proportion of boracic acid to give it an appearance of good value, may sell such packets to a passing unfortunate of the streets for several shillings before a constable. HEAVY FINES OF GAOL. When the police are clothed in their new powers conviction for such an offence will render the offender Hable to a line, of £250 or a year’s gaol, or both. “We have been working on these regulations for months,” said an official of the Chief Secretary’s Department, “and we hope that this draft, which has been revised again and again, will bring finality. “The drugs listed are handled by doctors, dentists-, pharmacists, and veterinary surgeons. “Our problem has been to frame such regulations as will place no obstacle in the way of the legitimate use of these narcotics;, while giving the police an adequate weapon with which to bring to book those responsible for their misuse.” According to statistics made available- by the Acting-Collector of Customs. (Mr Banks), the importation of hypnotic and narcotie drugs, morphia and its salts, and opium for-medicinal purposes, is on the increase. The total importation of tliesc drugs into New South Wales for the year ended June 30, 1926, was of a value of £5676. The value of the importations during the previous year was £1695 less than this. The importations into the Commonwealth as a whole only show an advance of £1662, so that New South Wales.- is actually responsible for the entire increase and more. CUSTOMS PRECAUTIONS. It was stated by a Customs official that the* importation of the class of drugs under notice was prohibited, except under license, by a proclamation dated November 20, 1926. “Licenses may be issued by the Customs Department,” he- explained, “to doctors, manufacturing chemists or druggists, and pharmaceutical chemists. In this State the licenses are principally held by wholesale druggists. “Before we- license any person he must give security to the Customs Department in an amount sufficient to cover his responsibilities, and in th-e te-rins of that license he must keep records showing particulars.- of the disposal of these drugs.” In addition to these precautions, however, a most meticulous record is kept by the Customs Department of every grain of cocaine, heroin, or other narcotic handled by the chemists and druggists of the State.

StiU, under this license system, a definite maximum of cocaine—to take an instance of a widcly-used drug—is allowed under the law to every apparently reputable person entitled to handle it.

in this fact, and its possible-.abuse by doctors or chemists not above trading in their surplus supplies, those responsible; for framing the new regulations see a loophole- by which the undesirable traffickers of Darlinghurst and its purlieus may be supplied.

The view is held in police- circles, nevertheless that much of the improper traffic in these drugs is m smuggled supplies, it being common knowledge that some, trading connection is maintained with the Near East by drug-handlers in,this State. The new regulations, of which full particulars cannot be published until they have run the gauntlet of their official and other - critics, are expected, however, to cover the ground entirely.