Ireland’s anti-drug measures lauded

IRELAND’S record in combating drug trafficking and involving communities in drug education and treatment programmes has been praised by a UN body.

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) also highlighted measures taken by Ireland to combat “legal highs” as well as measures to regulate the sale of codeine products in chemists.

The INCB Annual Report 2010 which provides a detailed analysis of the world drugs market said cocaine cartels in South America were increasingly using submarines and semi-submersibles to transport multi- tonne shipments across the Atlantic to Europe.

Ireland was one of five countries inspected by the INCB which polices international drug laws.

It said programmes for the prevention and treatment of drugs abuse were carried out by government and non-government organisations, working in “close cooperation” with each other.

“The Board welcomes the involvement of local communities and civic society in these programmes. Close cooperation is established between various law enforcement offices and other governmental offices with regard to supply reduction measures, which has led to successes in the use of controlled deliveries and in the seizure of drugs and assets derived from criminal activities.”

The report said the mushrooming of designer drugs, or so-called legal highs, was a major issue but noted efforts made in Ireland to initially ban a wide range of named legal highs.

It said this was followed by the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010 which criminalised the sale for human consumption of psychoactive drugs not already banned.

The report said guidelines were issued by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland on the safe supply of non-prescription products containing codeine.

On global trends, the report said that while cocaine production in Columbia continued to fall, it has risen for four years in a row in Peru and Bolivia. It expressed concern that Peru might overtake Columbia in the coming years.

The INCB said use of submersibles and semi-submersibles — which travel just below the ocean’s surface and cover distances of up to 2,000 miles — to smuggle multi-tonne shipments of cocaine from South America had “strongly increased”.

The report noted 19 such vessels were seized worldwide from 1993 to 2007 but 34 were seized in 2008 and 2009.

It said the technological advancement and transport capacity had developed and said a submarine carrying 14 tonnes of drugs was seized in July 2010.