NSW Crime Commission cop on drugs charge

AM - Tuesday, 3 June, 2008 08:00:00

Reporter: Michael Edwards

TONY EASTLEY: One of Australia's top police investigators, who works with the New South Wales Crime Commission, has been arrested and charged by federal police over an alleged drug conspiracy charge.

51-year-old Mark Standen is expected to appear in court today along with another man arrested in Sydney yesterday.

Standen is accused of alleged involvement with an international syndicate to produce large amounts of the drug 'ice'.

It's one of the most serious allegations of criminal corruption levelled at a senior policeman.

As a senior officer with the commission, Mark Standen was a key player in an elite crime fighting agency - its job, to bust drug traffickers.

Michael Edwards has this report.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: Within the Australian Law enforcement community - the New South Wales Crime Commission is regarded as an elite unit and 51-year-old Mark Standen is viewed as one of it best criminal investigators.

Among his achievements are spearheading the Crime Commission's investigation into a cocaine smuggling ring involving Sydney drug lord Michael Hurley.

But yesterday it must have seemed as though his world had turned upside-down when the Australian Federal Police raided the Crime Commission's offices in Sydney.

AFP officers shut off computers and locked the building down - they then arrested Mark Standen for his alleged involvement in a major chemical importation plot.

Veteran ABC Four Corners journalist, Chris Masters, says Mark Standen has a reputation as a fierce investigator.

CHRIS MASTERS: Even though this is not somebody who is well known across Australia, within policing circles he is very well known.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: Mark Standen's career began 30 years ago policing Sydney 's docks.

He then joined the Australian Federal Police before being recruited by the New South Wales Crime Commission a decade ago.

Chris Masters says Mark Standen's arrest has sent shock waves through the highest echelons of Australian policing.

CHRIS MASTERS: This is a senior police officer who was seen to be extremely effective. The NSW Crime Commission are pretty much the elite crime fighting agency in New South Wales and one I have to say, I know it is controversial but one that I have had a lot of respect for over the last decade or so. They do a lot.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: Last night, the AFP charged Mark Standen and a 45-year-old man with offences related to an alleged conspiracy to import a border controlled precursor chemical for the drug 'ice'.

Both are set to appear Sydney's Central Local Court this morning.

The AFP has also confirmed it raided properties in the Sydney suburbs of Campbelltown, Alexandria, Blacktown and St Helen's Park as well as properties on the New South Wales south and central coasts.

It's alleged Mr Standen was working with a criminal syndicate based in the Netherlands and with links to Asia.

Mark Standen's arrest is likely to have wider ramifications for the New South Wales Crime Commission.

The Commission has special investigative powers which include the right to compel witnesses to testify and the ability to conduct covert surveillance operations.

Phillip Boulten SC is President of the Criminal Defence Lawyer's Association.

He says there is growing concern among lawyers that the Commission is overstepping its mark.

Mr Boulten says it's about time the commission was held to account.

PHILLIP BOULTEN: I am suggesting either that there be a Royal Commission into the operation of the New South Wales Crime Commission or that a judicial officer be given full power to review its operations so as to report back to the Parliament of New South Wales about whether or not the Crime Commission is indeed fulfilling its charter.

TONY EASTLEY: The President of the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association, Phillip Boulten ending Michael Edwards' report.

 

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Ice use drops, heroin use rises

AM - Saturday, 13 October, 2007 08:12:00

Reporter: Michael Turtle

ELIZABETH JACKSON: For the first time this decade, the annual drug trend figures show a drop in the use of crystal methamphetamine or ice.

But at the same time the figures indicate that the heroin drought might be over.

Here's our Youth Affairs Reporter, Michael Turtle.

MICHAEL TURTLE: At the Salvation Army's detox centre in Sydney's Surry Hills, there are 10 beds.

The charity's Graham Drew says recently there's been a change in the drugs that people using those beds are seeking help for.

GRAHAM DREW: Well, I've asked some of our frontline people and they said over the last few weeks there has been a … they have noticed a trend where there are a drop-off in the numbers of people coming in addicted to ice and, correspondingly, a spiked increase in the number of people using heroin.

MICHAEL TURTLE: And that fits with the latest data from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

The centre's Louisa Degenhardt says there's been a trend away from ice, and that's probably because it's now got a bad reputation.

LOUISA DEGENHARDT: And I think it's just experience. I mean, there's a lot of people who have had negative effects of using the drug, because they've developed problems with it or it's had acute negative effects. And I think it's about people learning that there are risks and choosing not to take them.

 

MICHAEL TURTLE: At the Salvo's detox centre, John has checked himself in for his ice addiction, and he knows all about the negative effects it has.

JOHN: And I've seen myself, like, a few friends gone nuts and absolutely just been violent for no reason, aggressive, just going out looking to get into punch-ups, looking to get into fights, looking to destroy things, just going along, like people will just set fires in otto bins and just let them burn down to a puddle on the ground, like just random acts of violence and aggression really.

MICHAEL TURTLE: The annual drug figures, though, show that heroin is starting to be used more commonly again.

It's been years since the heroin drought was credited with slowing the use of the drug, and Professor Degenhardt believes the availability may be on the rise again.

This is probably linked with increased production in places like Afghanistan.

For the Federal Government, it presents a constantly evolving challenge

The Minister responsible for drug policy, Christopher Pyne, claims some credit for the drop in ice.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Look, I think it's a combination of factors. One would be the education campaign that the Government has run, recently of course on the television but also publicly over the last few years we've taken a very firm line on the use of illicit drugs, and particularly with respect to ice.

I think the media has played an important part in highlighting the dangers of ice, and obviously drug users are responding to that, which is pleasing.

ELIZABETH JACKSON: And that's Christopher Pyne ending Michael Turtle's report.

 

 

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