(Ed. note: It is fascinating that people are so
conditioned not to question marijuana prohibition that they can see something like this
and not understand what they are seeing. This article shows no sign of comprehension by
any of those involved. Ironically, it is certainly something that the CIA would understand
as a "benefit" of prohibition!)April 2, 1998
Daily Telegraph (Australia)
dtmletr@ozemail.com.au
By Charles Miranda
DRUG TRADE WITH PNG FUNDED BY OUR GUNS
AUSTRALIAN guns are being swapped for drugs in a growing trade
which is arming Papua New Guinean rebels and seeing high-grade cannabis flood the local
market.
The Daily Telegraph has learned there has been an increase in the black market sale of
weapons to PNG since the introduction of new national gun laws and the end of the gun
buyback scheme.
Police suspect the major off-shore buyers are rebel groups, such as the Free Papua
Movement, and local criminal gangs.
According to a Federal Police intelligence report, the outlawed
weapons are being bought and swapped with Papua New Guineans and other islanders for large
quantities of cannabis.
Criminal syndicates in Australia then distribute the drugs along the eastern seaboard.
Recent seizures included a .357 Magnum revolver, pump-action
shotgun, pistols, SKK and SKS Chinese assault rifles and hundreds of kilos of cannabis.
There are currently more than a dozen Australians and PNG locals facing court for
possession of some of the weapons.
The seizures were made by the AFP and other agencies in Australia and throughout the
complex archipelago of islands including Badu, Daru, Horn and Boigu.
AFP Northern Region general manager Mick Keelty said while drugs entered the country
everywhere, including Sydney Airport, the Torres Strait was of concern.
He said PNG had an established market for firearms and the organised trade was hard to
detect because of geography.
PNG’s western province is only a few kilometres from the Cape and shallow waters
are easily crossed.
"The trafficking of cannabis in exchange for firearms
following the completion of the buyback scheme has seen a marked rise in the exchange
price," he said.
"But these are not the only concerns of a law-enforcement nature. The fact that an
infrastructure exists to facilitate cultivation, packaging, transporting and distribution
should be a warning not to be complacent."
The AFP will now base an agent on Thursday Island and conduct a series of island
operations involving police and Customs officers from Australia and PNG.
AFP intelligence also suggested problems were being compounded by lack of PNG police
resources and an expected tide of refugees, as a result of the Asian economic meltdown,
landing in Australia.
Justice Minister Amanda Vanstone said steps were being taken to close the guns, drugs
and illegal migrants breaches.
"We are concerned by that and we are taking appropriate steps to stop the
practice," she said yesterday.
Supported