NCJ Number
78669
Journal
Australian Crime Prevention Council Forum Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: (1981) Pages: 17-21,23,25-26
Date Published
1981
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the difficulties in investigating organized drug activities and enforcing the law against drug growers and dealers in Australia.
Abstract
Experiences of the author, currently a judge of the Australian supreme court and formerly head of the New South Wales Royal Commission of Inquiry into Drug Trafficking, are recounted, particularly in reference to investigation methods used in 'laundering' money from drug and gambling activities. The heroin and marijuana markets are described, with information on dealers' prices for the drugs and the drugs' street value. The article notes the conflict between establishing laws to effectively control illegal activities and the public's perceived intrusion of these laws into civil liberties. Suggestions for law reform in a number of areas are advocated, including the following: a definition of possession in relation to drugs so as to cover a group of people in a structure or vehicle, powers of search with and without a warrant, the use of wiretapping and listening devices, and compulsory interrogation and the obligation to provide information on the sources of drugs found in a person's possession. No references are cited.