Police News May 09.indd - New Zealand Police Association

New Zealand Police AssociationIntelligence Bureau was looking atmeasures, which would help keep “pillshoppers” in check.One possible concept was theimplementation of a programme calledProject Stop.The aim of the project is to alert pharmaciesto potential ‘pill-shoppers’ by registeringa person’s details on to a nationaldatabase each time they purchased apseudoephedrine-based product.The project is running in Australia andresearch shows it has met with somesuccess. One of the teething problemswith Project Stop in New Zealand is thatit is voluntary for pharmacies to join thescheme.The New Zealand Customs Service hasalso stepped up its border interceptionstrategies and will continue to workclosely with the New Zealand Police andother agencies in the fight against thelucrative meth trade.A Customs spokesman confirmed hisdepartment was constantly lookingfor ways to make these strategies moreeffective.Other methods used to avoid detectionThe report named the use of transitcouriers, buying materials online, theft,burglary or robbery and gaining legal orillegal acquisition of post-dated (expired)product intended for disposal as othermethods used by criminals to obtainprecursor materials.“Smugglers will try any possible methodto get illicit drugs into the country,” aspokesperson from Customs said.Recent importations have been discoveredin paint tubes, packaged food, children’sbicycles, granite bench tops, figurines andfurniture.Overseas importers often posted drugs orprecursors to known vacant addresses sothey could be collected by a third partyonce delivered.• This paint tin was used to try to smuggle pseudoephedrine and was one of the many itemsrecovered during Operation Major.• A plaster statue (inset) and a view of the back of it after Customs had drilled a small hole toreveal a stash of Contac NT granules.- Photos courtesy of NZ Customs.May 200993