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UK: Criminal gangs "running 6bn pounds drugs industry"
Nick Hopkins, crime correspondent The Guardian
Thursday 09 Aug 2001 Crime agency insists war is not lost against traffickers believed responsible for smuggling in 70 tonnes of heroin and cocaine Seventy tonnes of heroin and cocaine and more than 100m ecstasy tablets, with a total street value of £6bn, were brought into the UK last year by organised gangs, a report claimed yesterday. The national criminal intelligence service (Ncis) warned that the figures probably "understated the threat" from drug traffickers, and said the number of seizures by police and customs accounted for a fraction of the growing market. Ncis has identified between 800 and 900 criminal gangs operating in the UK, with up to 80% being in the underground drugs industry. The agency said that criminals were diversifying into other spheres, such as cigarette smuggling and illegal immigration, that were less profitable but less risky. One concern is the likelihood that Albanian mafias, which have swept through some parts of eastern Europe and have a reputation for extreme violence, will try to establish themselves here, starting turf wars with existing gangs. Albanian criminals have disrupted organised crime in Italy, ousting the traditional mafia from Milan within the last two years. Ncis yesterday outlined some of the problems facing investigators at the launch of its annual threat assessment of serious and organised crime. A classified version of the report has been circulated to government departments. Ncis estimated that up to 30 tonnes of heroin and 40 tonnes of cocaine were smuggled into the UK last year. Only two tonnes of heroin and three tonnes of cocaine were seized by police. However John Abbott, the director general of Ncis, denied the war against the traffickers was lost. "We are certainly having a huge difficulty getting on top of it, but we are having some success. Law enforcement is not going to be able to do that alone. "It's not a fight that we can give up, it's not right we should give it up. These are professional criminals who are exploiting other people to make a profit." Mr Abbott said 90% of the gangs trafficking in cannabis were also smuggling other drugs, often cocaine. Ncis said the sources of the drugs were well known; most heroin came from Afghanistan or Pakistan via Turkey; most cocaine came from south America to Spain and Portugal; and ecstasy was manufactured in the Netherlands. But tracking shipments through Europe remained difficult because of the sheer volume and the variety of smuggling techniques. "It is estimated that up to three quarters of the cocaine imported into the UK from mainland Europe is carried across the Channel in lorries, private vehicles and by foot passengers," the report said. Two thirds of gangs linked to football hooliganism were also involved in drug trafficking and a third in some form of counterfeiting, mostly of payment cards, Ncis said. Travelling football supporters provide a market for drugs, as well as cover through weight of numbers for dealers. Police believe payment card fraud helps the gangs pay for their travel. Ncis also said that the arrival of the euro had given criminals an opportunity to counterfeit currency - some fake money is in circulation, when most people are unaware what the real coins and notes look like.
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