Text 15. 2. Drug control: international policy and approaches

 

The drug problem continues to worsen inexorably from year to year. The widespread epidemic of violence, social upheaval and human misery have been brought on by drug abuse and illicit trafficking. Governments and international organisations, as well as scientific and academic communities, have all worked together to understand and tackle the drug problem.

 

Timely exchange of information is crucial to fighting drug trafficking. The United Nations is a gold mine of information on the spread of thedrug abuse epidemic, on innovative responses, etc.

 

The United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control (UNFDAC) has become a major focus of activities designed to support Governments' efforts to carry out their obligations to eliminate illicit production, trafficking and abuse.

 

The main objective of the Fund's activities is to help developing countries in their efforts to curb production, trafficking and abuse of drugs. For instance, Thailand is a major grower of opium, while India is the only legalized producer of the plant for medical purposes.

 

The Fund has also provided material assistance for a telecommunications network to enhance co-operation among the Caribbean countries and between that region and Interpol, assisting law enforcement agencies to communicate rapidly and intercept drug traffickers.

 

The UN system offers a wide range of Development Programmes. In Bolivia, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) seeks to diminish economic dependence of farmers on coca production, improve marketing of alternative crops and upgrade law enforcement. In Thailand the

 

Programme promotes integrated rural development. The goal is to encourage production of coffee, vegetables and other food and cash crops as alternatives to drug crops.

 

The International Maritime Organization has developed guidelines toprevent drug smuggling on ships plying international routes.

The International Civil Aviation Organization is studying measures,including sanctions, to ensure that commercial air carriers are not used to transport illicit narcotics.

 

The fight against drug trafficking and abuse requires from the international community a common understanding of the problem, and a shared vision of the appropriate strategies and responses.

 

Shared responsibility is not always an easy principle to guide action worldwide, but it will be the most effective one. Governments, the United Nations system, regional organizations, civil society and the private sector need to work together to secure healthy lives for their citizens and respect for the rule of law. Drug control approaches addressed in this issue include:

ü expansion of efforts to reduce foreign production at the source;

ü expansion of interdiction and enforcement activities to disrupt supply lines;

 

ü expansion of efforts to reduce worldwide demand;

ü expansion of economic disincentives for international drug trafficking.

In order to improve the concerted actions by the international community to advance shared responsibilities in drug control, Governments and the organizations concerned should comply with the provisions of the international drug control conventions. They should develop more effective practices in reducing illicit drug demand, focusing on education, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. They should also establish efficient mechanisms for exchanging information on their actions, experiences and good practices in drug control.

 

Speculate about the following.

 

1. Today no nation is immune to drug problems.

2. A global problem such as drug abuse requires a global response.

3. Developing countries have unique vulnerabilities.

 

4. The principle of shared responsibility is the most effective one to guide action against drug trafficking worldwide.

 

5. Thr role of the UN in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.

 

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES I. Punctuate the following text.

India's National Highway 39 was the assault route used by Japanese troops during World War II now a new menace is marching along this jungle road it comes by the kilo or in tiny plastic packets labeled «Sunflower» «Eagle» and most appropriately «Danger» this time the fearsome invader is heroin highway 39 has become a vital link in an increasingly important route leading out of Asia the region around the intersection of Burma Thailand and Laos that is the World's leading producer of opium poppies in the past heroin flowed freely from Burma into Thailand and from there to the rest of the world but tougher surveillance is forcing smugglers to look for alternative pathways to the West smugglers have the option of shipping unprocessed opium to laboratories near the border from transit points pure-grade «Number Four» heroin is moved on to the Middle East Europe and the U. S. but a lot stays in India at least two bands of Indian rebels have become engaged in the way heroin is wasting local youth Manipur a state of 2 million people has more than 30, 000 young addicts who have begun killing drug peddlers but while local groups will not give information to Indian anti-drug authorities it's hard to infiltrate such an ethnically closed society laments a former Narcotics Control Bureau official he says people don't want to co-operate with narcotics combat in the northeast officials deny that Indian security forces are mixed up in the drug trade but at least one army major was arrested in 1988 with two kilos of heroin since then at least ten other servicemen have been arrested but not charged a western drug- control expert who visited the area once asked a senior police officer what he reckoned the corruption level to be on his force about 100% came the reply I've got men who can't afford to buy schoolbooks for their children but there's a difference between corruption of need and corruption of greed the greed is spreading and it is making India a superhighway in the international drug trade.

 

II. The paragraphs of the following text are mixed. Rearrange them in the correct logical order.

 

COLOMBIAN COCAINE

 

(1) The Colombians provided a map showing exactly where the drugs were concealed. Officers flew to Amsterdam and, with the co-operation of Dutch police and Customs, the six flower boxes containing the cocaine were allowed to be removed from the KLM aircraft and sent on to Manchester. There the drugs were taken to an «undercover» warehouse, provided by the Customs team.

(2) During one visit to the UK, they offered in the region 5,000 kilos of cocaine, worth more than £350 million, to undercover Manchester CID officers. The «deal» was struck for about 250 kilos of the drug to be hidden among a legitimate consignment of cut flowers on a flight from Bogota.

(3) Their arrests resulted from an undercover Customs operation which began in April.

(4) Two Colombians, who unknowingly teamed up with Customs officers to smuggle cocaine worth £50 million into Manchester airport, have been sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court.

(5) Manchester assistant chief investigation officer, Paul A., said: «This is a very important case, not only because it is the first time we have had any direct contact with the Cali cartel, but also because intelligence gained from this operation has resulted in the seizure of a further 2.2 tons of the drug in the UK and Poland».

(6) It is believed that both men were part of the famous Cali cartel in Colombia and involved in the shipment of large quantities of cocaine into the US and Europe.

(7) Francisco S., aged 36, was jailed for nine years for his part in smuggling 243 kilograms of the drug. Gerardo B., 48, pleaded guilty, but sentencing was delayed for a month pending medical reports.

 

III. Translate into Russian.

 

The world's Customs Services do play a major role in the fight against drug trafficking. No one knows the full extent of this illicit trade; various agencies make estimates as to the production of different categories of drugs, but their figures are so rough and their ranges so wide that any judgments on the level of the drug trade would be guesswork. Thus, though it cannot be determined what percentage of illicit drugs Customs Services detect and prevent from reaching the market, the total tonnage that has been seized is a very substantial and impressive figure.

 

IV. Unjumble the following paragraphs to make up two texts:

«Money Laundering» and «Hazardous Substances».

 

(1) Drugs are hazardous substances. When examining suspect substances do not touch, taste or smell them. The chemicals used in drugs test kits are also hazardous. Amongst the contents can be acids or carcinogenic substances. Use gloves whenever possible when carrying out tests.

(2) The money laundering process is described in three separate phases:

Placemen t. This is the insertion of money from an illicit into anapparently legitimate location.

(3) Drugs couriers are not always the cleanest of people. They represent a health hazard in themselves. Bear in mind the fact that a person does not have to look ill to be riddled with the most unpleasant diseases and in fact appearances can be enhanced to look normal. Do not take chances with drugs couriers and dealers.

(4) Money laundering is a multimillion industry (in any currency). Clearly the enormous amounts of profits to be made from drug dealing have to be concealed from the authorities. If they are not concealed, then they can easily be seized or, if the national legislation does not allow seizure, they can still be an indicator of drugs activity.

 

(5) Drugs paraphernalia can also be dangerous in the same way as the packaging of drugs, e.g. blades and hypodermic needles. When handling these things place a barrier between your skin and the suspect item, e.g. use tweezers or a sheet of plastic.

(6) Integration. This term covers the movement back into commercialactivity of the funds previously laundered and is therefore the last element of the process.

(7) Controlled drugs are frequently packed or concealed in such a way as to render their retrieval difficult and dangerous both in terms of immediate injury or long-term health risk to the officer. Protect your skin and clothing.

(8) Layering. This is the means by which a series of movements ortransactions are used to mask the origins of the money.

V. Drug trafficking is a global challenge of the 21-st century. Customs administrations actively participate in the fight against drug trafficking using various methods and techniques. Read the text givenbelow and write four «wh»-questions on the text.

 

Controlled delivery is a technique that leads to the detection andarrest of drug trafficking organizers and the breakup of smuggling operations, bringing about some degree of slowdown in smuggling activity. After a drug shipment is discovered, the shipment is allowed to proceed to its destination under control and surveillance¹. In some cases, the drugs are kept in the shipment; in others, most of the drug is removed and some other material substituted with enough of the drug left as is

 

¹ 1. Contracting Parties may permit the movement of unlawful or suspect goods out of, through, or into their territories, with the knowledge and under the control of the Customs administration, with a view to investigating and combating

2. If such movements cannot be carried out under the control of the Customs authority, that authority shall endeavour to initiate co-operation with the national authorities that have such competence or shall transfer the case to them.Customs offences.

(International Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance

 

in Customs Matters. Chapter V. Article 12.)

 

required for legal prosecution purposes. Controlled deliveries usually involve drugs sent either in cargo shipments or in the mail where there is not a person present (courier) who has the responsibility for the drugs and would know of delays caused by their detection. However, there have been a number of cases of controlled deliveries around the world involving air passenger baggage. Some of these cases have resulted from detection of baggage that has been misdirected or delayed and not travelled with the passenger.

 

In some countries, controlled deliveries can be conducted solely under the auspices of the Customs Service, while in others, the Customs Service is required to work with the Police or local authorities. These situations also may require close co -operation with other government agencies such as the judiciary or the postal service and/or with persons involved in the transportation/trading business such as shipping company staff or Customs representatives.

 

VI. Look through the examples of controlled deliveries (1–6) and answer the following questions.

 

1. Why was Fernando Rossi ordered to pay £ 5.700?

2. What did Indian Customs officials find in the parcel?

3. Why were two Somali nationals arrested?

4. In what connection is «the lining of the jacket» mentioned?

5. Who packed the drugs among furniture in a van?

 

6. What was hidden inside the padded covers of an address book?

7. How old was Albert Vassell?

8. What is the «City of Durban»?

9. What happened at Essex train station?

10. What types of drugs are mentioned in all the texts?

 

(1) TWO MEN were arrested outside an Essex train station and more than five kilos of ecstasy seized after long-term surveillance by investigation officers. The officers followed a man who arrived by ferry from Holland. He drove to Manningtree railway station where he met another man who also arrived by car. The drugs – worth a quarter of a million pounds – were in one of the cars. Investigators then searched three houses where they found more ecstasy and some cash.

 

(2) A MAN was jailed for four years for smuggling 192 grammes of cocaine –worth £21,000 – into the UK. The cocaine was hidden inside the padded covers of an address book sent by courier mail from Jamaica. Officers at Heathrow found the drugs. The parcel was delivered to an address in Hackney where 38-years-old Briton, Albert Vassell, was arrested by investigation officers from South London and Thames. V. absconded while on bail but was rearrested by police and brought to trial.

(3) TWO MEN were arrested after officers at Tilbury found 30 kilos of cannabis in a shipment of South Africans surfboards. The drugs - worth £80,000 – were hidden in wooden crates containing surfboards among cargo on the City of Durban. The load was cleared at Tilbury Customs and delivered to a London address where the men were arrested when they took delivery. They were charged with being knowingly involved with the illegal importation of drugs.

(4) A MAN has been jailed for 11 years for attempting to smuggle cannabis worth more than £33 million through Felixstowe last year. Officers found nine tonnes of the drug in a container of wax candles and carried out a controlled delivery to a warehouse near Ipswich where they arrested Fernando Rossi. R., who pleaded guilty half way through the trial, was also ordered to pay £5,700. Sentencing of a second man was deferred pending further reports.

(5) TWO SOMALI nationals were arrested after a kilogramme of heroin was found in the lining of a jacket and handbag sent by post to the UK from India. Officers from South London and Thames carried out a controlled delivery of the parcel to an address in London after a joint operation involving Indian and UK Customs. Indian Customs officials found the drugs during routine checks of export parcels at New Delhi post office.

(6) ANGLIAN Customs officers seized 30 kilos of tablets thought to be ecstasy in their third major seizure in less than a week. The drugs – worth more than £ 1 million – were found packed among furniture in a van driven by a Dutchman arriving on the morning ferry from Holland. Earlier that week officers seized 50 kilos of cannabis at Felixstowe and more than a kilo of ecstasy at Harwich. In each case one person was arrested.

 

VII. Translate into English.

 

Обратная сторона наркобизнеса

 

За торговлю наркотиками в столице работники правопорядка арестовали уже около сорока жителей Колумбии. Теперь им при-дется предстать перед судом. По российским законам срок тюрем-ного заключения за торговлю наркотическими препаратами колеб-лется от пяти до пятнадцати лет. По оценке правоохранительных органов, в прошлом году из Колумбии в страны бывшего СНГ было отправлено примерно сорок тонн кокаина. Как утверждают между-народные эксперты, белое зелье хоть раз пробовали не менее 15 % россиян и к началу нового тысячелетия наркоманами могут стать

 

около четырех миллионов наших соотечественников. Основные пути доставки наркотиков в Россию –морской, т. е. через Атлан-тический океан в Швецию и Финляндию, откуда трейлерами пси-

 

хостимуляторы доставляются в Санкт-Петербург, и воздушный, а именно, самолетом из Колумб в Венесуэлу, потом судном в Италию и дальше снова по воздуху. Но несмотря на то, что столица завалена «белой сме тью», ст ажи порядка прилагают все усилия для перекрывания на к каналов.

 

(«Московская правда»)

 

VIII. Read the given text and answer the following questions:

 

1. What does the term «drug precursors» mean?

2. Why are drug precursors dangerous?

3. What kinds of administrations are involved in drug precursor's control?

 

4. The EU has become an importer of drug precursors. Why?

5. What are EU regulations aimed at?

6. Why is ecstasy of a particular concern for the European Union?