More caught smuggling drugs

Press, 17 March 1977, Page 4

More caught smuggling drugs

NZPA staff correspondent London

The New Zealand High Commission in London is concerned about the increasing number of young New Zealanders being arrested in England for trying to import drugs into the country.

Four New Zealanders were given hefty jail sentences on separate drug charges by London courts in a six-week spell recently. All will be deported at the end of their prison terms. "Although the numbers are not large, this rate is unprecedented, and we are very concerned about it," a High Commission spokesman said yesterday. “New Zealanders should be warned that they face the full brunt of British law if they try to smuggle drugs into this country. There is no way that the New Zealand Government can help them, and they will have to face the consequences.” Prison terms of up to four years were imposed on the New Zealanders involved in the recent cases. All were arrested at Heathrow Airport after being found with drugs on them or in their luggage. The police and officials of ’London drug ceritrefe, set up

to help addicts and offenders, warned late last year of the increasing number of New Zealanders involved with drugs. They said more were attempting to bring drugs into Britain, having picked them up in the Far East on their way to London. Many did it to try to pay their fares, but were frequently caught because they were "amateur couriers," and police and Customs officials were aware of the air routes being used for drug-running. The recent cases were:

A 24-year-old Auckland woman jailed for four years in December; A 24-year-old Auckland man sentenced to 3| years in January for trying to import

cannabis; A Wellington man in his early 20s jailed for two years at the end of January. He was describee by the police as a scapegoat for a gang of smugglers, having been sent to Heathrow to take delivery of a three-piece suite of furniture stuffed with drugs and air-freighted from Kenya; A Christchurch man of 25 was sentenced to 3J years jail on drug importation charges in early February. Before these four cases, the only ones the High Commis-

, sion knew of was an Aucks land man jailed for five years ' for possessing and supplying i drugs in December, 1975, and ! a Hamilton man fined and s deported on drug charges in I February, 1972. 1 The recent ejection from Britain of a 28-year-old Maori ' rock musician has also high- ■ lighted an increase in the numbers of New Zealand ' overstayers being ordered to 1 leave the country. The High Commission emphasises that is it not notified of every case, but it knows of six New Zealand-

ers told to leave in the last 12 months. Previous official figures were two in the whole of 1975 and none back to 1972 when there were also two.

The Home Office denies that there is a crackdown on New Zealanders who have overstayed their visa times and become illegal immigrants. An official said the number of New Zealanders ejected was “very small” compared with the over-all rate of all overstayers. But he added: “We are always keeping tight control on overstayers, and we have our intelligence sources and receive information from time to time."

The High Commission says that the number of New Zealanders involved with drugs or overstaying their time is "minute” considering that up to 75,000 New Zealanders are estimated to visit Britain every year. Most are itinerants who do not stay very long. The aver-

'Siage New Zealander is allowed i- in for six months, but can re;s turn if he leave: the country, is There are special provisions p for young New Zealanders on •s working holidays, who can n come in for 12 months at a time, and then apply for exo tensions up to a maximum of r- five years.