Last year’s drugs haul worth a record €170m
More than €170 million worth of drugs have been confiscated to date, compared with about €100m last year.
The jump in 2007 is dominated by massive seizures of cocaine, including a colossal haul of 1.5 tonnes in July. The Irish Examiner understands a survey on drug use to be published in January will confirm cocaine use has risen since the last survey four years ago.
Meanwhile, figures from the Forensic Science Laboratory report a 25% jump this year in the number of drug samples sent for forensic testing. According to provisional Garda figures, seizures to date include:
* Two tonnes of cocaine, with a final street value of €140m.
* 95kgs of heroin, worth €19m.
* One tonne of cannabis herb, worth €2m.
* One tonne of cannabis resin, valued at €7m.
* 25kgs of amphetamines, worth €375,000.
The cocaine total is driven by the seizure of 1.5 tonnes of the drug off the west Cork coast, the biggest cocaine haul in the State’s history. In addition, up to 500kg of cocaine have also been seized this year.
This compares to a total cocaine haul of 190kg in 2006, 229kg in 2005, 167kg in 2004, 107kg in 2003 and 32kg in 2002.
A population survey by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs is expected to report a rise in cocaine use, since the last survey in 2002/2003.
The Garda figures also show continuing high levels of heroin use, although 2007’s tally is short of last year’s record haul of 128kg. The totals for this year and last year are several times greater than previous years, with 32kg in 2005, 26kg in 2004 and 32kg in 2003.
Gardaí believe the sharp increase in the last two years is due to greater supply globally and increased demand across Ireland.
The hauls for this year also show a large jump in the seizure of herbal cannabis. A ton of the drug has been confiscated this year, compared to 290kg in 2006. This has paralleled in a sharp drop in the amount of cannabis resin seized, from seven tonnes in 2006 to about one ton this year.
Gardaí and health experts have expressed concern at this, as herbal cannabis is stronger than cannabis resin.
Estimates used internationally suggest between 10-20% of all drugs in supply are seized, suggesting that the total value of drugs in circulation in Ireland this year might be between €700m and €1.4 billion.
Customs and gardaí disagree with this estimate. The United Nations Office on Drugs estimated 40% of all cocaine produced was caught in 2006.
Garda figures also show the number of drug seizures has jumped by 20%, from 6,377 in 2003 to 7,500 in 2006. The number of seizures, as opposed to the quantity seized, are considered by many experts to be a better guide on drug trends.
The number of cocaine hauls jumped by more than 130%, from 566 to 1,324, while the number of heroin seizures increased by 660 to 1,115.
While the number of cannabis resin seizures remained relatively constant, the number of herbal cannabis hauls rose by 65%, from 309 to 511.
