Northern Territory drug dealers net $1 billion

[Gazza75]

Northern Territory drug dealers net $1 billion

Anti-Drug Warriors in Australia’s outback were quiet yesterday after the startling revelation that $1 billion worth of illicit drugs was consumed in the Northern Territory over the past year.

The figures were leaked to the Northern Territory News by Police Commissioner Paul White.

White told the Northern Territory News that illicit drugs valued at more than $20 million have been seized by police in the Northern Territory during the financial year ending 30th June 2004.

The Darwin based drug user organisation the Network Against Prohibition (NAP) has estimated that Northern Territory Police intercept close to two percent of the illicit drugs destined for consumption in the Territory.

If the figures leaked by Paul White are correct, Territorians spent $1 billion on illicit drugs in the past year.

The leak has confirmed low morale within the NT Police Service whose officers are forced to implement the NAZI-like “drug house” legislation.

Margo Laughton, the 55-year-old Stolen Generation member and grandmother who was the first victim of the drug house laws is still incarcerated in the women’s section of the infamous Berrimah prison.

NAP spokesperson Gary Meyerhoff said “It is not possible to stop the consumption of illicit drugs in the Northern Territory, our government needs to embrace our thirst for illicit drugs for the benefit of the wider community.”

The NAP has called on the Northern Territory Labor Government to legalise all currently illicit drugs, tax dealers and use the revenue to address the severe poverty and inequality that exists in the Territory.

Meyerhoff said “The size of drug hauls will continue to grow each year as the population grows and as more and more Territorians reject alcohol and take up much safer but illicit drugs.”

“Whether or not you view the War on Drugs in the Northern Territory as a success depends on who you are. Some things are certain, there are now more people in Northern Territory jails than ever before, 86 per cent of whom are indigenous, there are more illicit drugs and more and more people using them.”

For more information call NAP on 0415 16 2525 (61 415 16 2525 from overseas), NT Police Media Spokesperson Sue Bradley on 0417 770 686 (61 417 770 686 from overseas) or see http://www.napnt.org

 

[satricion]

HAHAHAHAHA

The Government has a soft spot for indigenous people?
You're aware that in general the indigenous community lives in conditions that are about the same as the average citizen of Sierra Leone right?

You know Sierra Leone? I believe it's...you guessed it...one of the poorest countries in the world! Guess who has the lowest life expectancy in Australia! Bang on target there with "Aboriginal males"!

Oh but the government must have a soft spot for them...I mean, directing funding specifically to help the most disadvantaged people in the country just makes the Australian government a total bunch of pussies. And I'll bet Howard was really pandering to the emotions of the stolen generation when he refused to apologise on behalf of the Australian people. He must really have a place in his heart for the indigenous community, bless his socks.

But hey...this isn't really the place to discuss politics...

So back to the topic...nice one Northern Territory, keep up the top work. Next year see if you can go 1.5 billion.


Edit: Haha, I can't remember who it was but whoever made the post saying that the government was soft on Aboriginals and hence inspired this post and a few after it has deleted it. Serves you right for echoing stupid racist bullshit instead of actually thinking for five seconds about an issue mate.

 

[apollo]

Our government has a soft spot for Aboriginal Australians? Sure mate 8)

The $1b figure drew me here - that's a phenomenal amount of drugs, even if it is another of those ambiguously inflated figures the government are infamous for. According to the ABS, there's just short of 200 000 people in the NT. Unless I forgot a zero/punched in one too many, that's $5k a head on drugs.

Considering that, I don't believe this 'leaked' figure, and I'm going to wait for something official.

 

[ld50 vs ssri]

Having lived there for the past 5 years this doesnt suprise me one bit!

There is nothing to do up there apart from use substances anyway

And as for the Indigenous community they get alot of fucking leway believe me!

 

[Gazza75]

Correction to Media Alert

Northern Territory Drug dealers net $1 billion

The Darwin based drug user organisation the Network Against Prohibition (NAP) has estimated that Northern Territory Police intercept close to two percent of the illicit drugs destined for consumption in the Territory, not one per cent as incorrectly reported in our last media alert.

The original post has been editied to reflect this.

 

[esprit]

Must be some rich dealers in the NT then

 

[Gazza75]

86% of NT Prisoners are Indigenous

And as for the Indigenous community they get alot of fucking leway believe me!

The latest NT Government figures show that indigenous people make up 86% of the jail population, this is despite the fact that they make up 30% of the overall population. The number of indigenous people in jail has risen to hits highest level ever under the Labor Government. There response is to build a new jail.

Indigenous people are being heavily targetted by drug enforcement agencies. Remote indigenous communities are the only places where you will see a drug sniffer dog when you get off the place and they are the only places where the police can seize your car if you have a six pack in it.

You call this a lot of fucking leway?

 

[Jubas]

that is indeed a tonne of drugs to be consumed, yet it highlights an interesting situation, whereby (and i think this occured in the US), economic forecasts/models are now taking into account illicit drug usage. People consume all the time, and sometimes its on drugs. To ignore an industry that is a) to some extent addictive, b) what appears to be quite accesible, c) immune to general economic trends, and d) worth billions of dollars, is impossible, and no self respecting analyst would ignore it!

and just quickly - i don't want to get into another argument.. search for the one on the redfern riots with myself and killarava2day...

The latest NT Government figures show that indigenous people make up 86% of the jail population, this is despite the fact that they make up 30% of the overall population. The number of indigenous people in jail has risen to hits highest level ever under the Labor Government. There response is to build a new jail.

Indigenous people are being heavily targetted by drug enforcement agencies. Remote indigenous communities are the only places where you will see a drug sniffer dog when you get off the place and they are the only places where the police can seize your car if you have a six pack in it.

You call this a lot of fucking leway?

aboriginal and torres straight islanders receive $2.5bn in federal spending. they represent 2% of the australian popn. (from memory.. like i said, look for the thread).

 

[ld50 vs ssri]

Re: 86% of NT Prisoners are Indigenous

The latest NT Government figures show that indigenous people make up 86% of the jail population, this is despite the fact that they make up 30% of the overall population. The number of indigenous people in jail has risen to hits highest level ever under the Labor Government. There response is to build a new jail.

Indigenous people are being heavily targetted by drug enforcement agencies. Remote indigenous communities are the only places where you will see a drug sniffer dog when you get off the place and they are the only places where the police can seize your car if you have a six pack in it.

You call this a lot of fucking leway?

I couldnt agree with you more! But i was refering to government funding to the indignous community more so then targetted communitys

 

[satricion]

The Aboriginal community is the poorest group of people in Australia. They are dieing of third world diseases and have one of the lowest life expectancies in the developed world.

Of course they're getting funding.

 

[ld50 vs ssri]

No doubt about that...

But when the majority of communitys receive funding from the government and go spend it up on Alcohol then complain afterwards!

 

[Sllip]

No doubt about that...

But when the majority of communitys receive funding from the government and go spend it up on Alcohol then complain afterwards!

Oh come on, but these people live in Sydney and Melbourne where they would see at least a dozen aboriginals in a year, so surely they know all about the plight they face.

Go walk through the park in Northbridge alone on a Sat night and I would love to see you come out the otherside alive. Aboriginals get a lot, and most of it they waste.

But hey this is drug discussion, not politics discussion. So as you said I can understand why the figure is so high, because like you said there jsut aint shit to do up there!!

 

[ld50 vs ssri]

[Edit: Off-topic 'chat' reply removed. Please keep personal replies to PM/email. BigTrancer]

 

[BigTrancer]

Clearly, several people in the forum have differing opinions on the issue of Government support of indigenous communities. It is my opinion that the debate is diverging from the drug discussion aspect of the article. It seems most of the debate was sparked by a post that has since been deleted anyway, but people continue to push their own opinions.

Please keep the posts on-topic, and provide references when you present statistics or generalisations based on stats.

BT