NCJ Number
66227
Date Published
1972
Length
35 pages
Annotation
THIS INTERPOL REPORT PROVIDES 1971 STATISTICS ON INDIVIDUAL DRUGS INVOLVED IN ILLICIT INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC, ANALYZES TRENDS, AND GIVES EXAMPLES OF INTERNATIONAL POLICE COOPERATION.
Abstract
THE STUDY BEGINS WITH A TABULAR PRESENTATION OF INFORMATION ON QUANTITIES, NUMBER OF SEIZURES, AND PERSONS IMPLICATED FOR THE FOLLOWING DRUGS: OPIUM, MORPHINE, HEROIN, COCAINE, CANNABIS, SYNTHETIC DRUGS, CENTRAL DEPRESSANTS, CENTRAL STIMULANTS, AND HALLUCINOGENS. EACH TABLE IS ORGANIZED ACCORDING TO GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS AND COUNTRY, WITH FOOTNOTES AND COMPARATIVE TOTAL FIGURES FOR 1968 THROUGH 1971. THE HIGHER SEIZURE RATES CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO AN INCREASE IN DRUG TRAFFIC, IMPROVED ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS, AND GREATER INTERNATIONAL POLICE COOPERATION. OPIUM TRAFFIC TENDED TO BE LIMITED TO REGIONS NEAR PRODUCER COUNTRIES, AND CURRENT TRAFFICKERS PREFER DEALING IN MORPHINE AND HEROIN. CANNABIS TRAFFIC HAD THE HIGHEST VOLUME WITH ESTABLISHED ROUTES BEGINNING IN THE NEAR AND FAR EAST AND ENDING IN EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES. AN INCREASING VARIETY OF PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES WERE AVAILABLE ON THE BLACK MARKET, BUT THE USE OF LSD SEEMED TO DECREASE. A PERMISSIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD DRUGS SUCH AS CANNABIS WAS OBSERVED. TRENDS IN DRUG TRAFFIC ARE DESCRIBED IN DETAIL FOR AFRICA, AMERICA, EUROPE, NEAR AND MIDDLE EAST, FAR EAST, ANND OCEANIA. EXAMPLES OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION INCLUDED INFORMATION EXCHANGES LEADING TO SEIZURES, TRAINING SESSIONS FOR POLICE AND CUSTOMS OFFICERS CONDUCTED BY INTERPOL, AND SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES ON DRUGS. THE NUMBERS OF COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED FROM MEMBER COUNTRIES BY INTERPOL'S GENERAL SECRETARIAT AND SENT OUT ARE LISTED IN A TABLE. (MJM)