Scratching the surface

Drugs and society

It is internationally recognised that law enforcement authorities consider themselves lucky if they manage to intercept 10% of the drug traffic crossing their borders.

This is not to diminish the brave efforts or achievements of police, navy and customs officials who do manage to stop some trafficking but rather to give scale to the vast problem they, and we, face.

International drug dealing is one of the biggest businesses in the world, one unconstrained by even the stretched morals and laws that govern international business, and as this week’s €30m cocaine seizure on the yacht Makayabella off the south west coast shows, vast sums of money are involved in this destructive business.

And, though there is no connection between the two events, yesterday’s gangland murder in north Co Dublin gives an indication, even if in a very different and tragic way, of the toll crime can inflict on a society. There have been more than ten gangland murders in Ireland already this year, a statistic that must stretch a police force already struggling with resource and culture issues.

There is too the suggestion that the resumption of the cocaine trade on such a spectacular scale is a real indication the recession is over. This may well be the case but we ignore the threat posed by international drug dealing to society and individuals at our peril.