Drugs grown on desert islands

Press, 1 November 1977, Page 4

Drugs grown on desert islands

PA Wellington Visiting yachts often found deserted islands and planted marijuana, the Tongan Minister of Police (Mr Akauola) told a conference of South Pacific police delegates. “They will then take the bearings of the island and return later to reap the harvest.

“Our economy cannot stand an increase in patrol vessels,” he said. He, like others at the conference, had also noticed a disturbing trend — hard drugs appearing in Tonga.

The source was presumably Thailand, he said.

The Assistant Commissioner of Police of Papua New Guinea, (Mr Sari Mesa) said the drug problem was relatively new to his country.

“It is only beginning to happen. Until two years ago

we had no problem with drug trafficking,” he said. The Assistant Commisof Police (Mr J. W. Celland) S. J. Harper) said the illicit trafficking of drugs was one of the most pressing problems there. “The flow of drugs from the Asian continent is causing Governments in Australia great worries,” he said. “What is needed is co-oper-ation and a flow of information between the police of the South Pacific.” The Fijian Commissioner of Police in Australia (Mr L. was the only one at the conference whose country was not affected by the drug problem. “We have no evidence of it,” he said. “We have been used as a transshipment point on a number of occasions. But we use our small Navy and Government ships to keep a watch on suspect vessels.”