Cocaine is fast emerging as the " party drug " in Sydney and it is in demand across our upper levels of society. There are very rich rewards to be made by those prepared to take the risk and devise a way of importing it into this country. The police are successful in busting many such operations, but it is obvious that much is still getting through by way of the amount circulating so freely.
This week a tonne of cocaine was seized and three men arrested when police swooped on a fishing trawler off the coast of Newcastle. One of these was a 32 year old who moves in society circles, another was 27 and the third was a 41 year old Chinese national. It is highly likely that all three will face life sentences when they face court.
The police operation that took a tonne of cocaine off the streets of Sydney makes interesting reading to those tempted to try their luck in the drug trade. They obviously reasoned that there is nothing suspicious about a fishing trawler going to sea to seek a catch. What they failed to understand is that our network of satellites circling the planet track the movements of shipping near our shores and this trawler simply sailed out to sea and made a rendevous with an overseas freighter - and then immediately returned to shore.
That alerted the police to have a look to see what it was carrying, and the three conspirators must have been unpleasantly surprised when a police launch pulled alongside and officers swarmed aboard. There was a degree of drama when a fire erupted in the engine room, but it was quickly extinguished and a tonne of cocaine was impossible to hide.
It is likely that money changed hands when that cocaine came aboard the intercepting trawler and the importing syndicate is now out of pocket for the cost of the drugs. But is doesn't stop there. That trawler will probably be impounded and those kind of vessels are expensive. It is quite possible that more cautious investors with clean hands provided the funds to buy the boat and expected a share of the rewards once that cocaine was sold on the streets of Sydney.
That is why the lure of the drug trade is so strong. There is steady and continuous demand for this party drug and a tonne of cocaine will turn into millions of dollars of profit. Running parallel with the drug trade is another criminal activity where the profits from drug sales are laundered into " clean " money that can be legitimately spent without attracting attention.
At best, this drug seizure may make cocaine scarce on the streets of Sydney for a week or so and probably the asking price may be a bit higher, but other importing sources will quickly fill the gap. The source of the supply is many and varied and it is well known that North Korea is openly engaged in the drug trade to try and overcome the sanctions that prevent it from trading in legitimate commodities. They are also engaged in counterfeiting the currency of other nations and are regarded as a " rogue regime ", now armed with nuclear weapons.
We will never be free of the illicit drug trade as long as there is still insatiable demand and right now cocaine is the drug of choice. Prison and the seizure of assets is simply regarded as a necessary business cost to the people that manage the drug trade and the really smart people operate at hands length away from day to day operations.
This drug bust is encouraging, but little has actually changed on the streets of Sydney !
sadfg
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