New Zealanders tempted with drugs in Asia, says lawyer

Press, 16 February 1978, Page 3

New Zealanders tempted with drugs in Asia, says lawyer

PA ” Auckland New Zealanders visiting Asian countries are flooded with opportunities to buy hard drugs while the authorities there turn a blind eye to the illicit deals, according to an Auckland lawyer, Mr G. Gotlieb, who has just returned from a two-month visit to Asia.

He said that he had been approached by dealers offering to sell narcotics. “The ordinary young tourist walking round the streets will be approached by a lot of dealers offering hashish, cocaine, and heroin,” he said.

“My concern is for the

New Zealander who goes away on holiday and is tempted to experiment with drugs. He can easily get himself into a group of people and become addicted or infected.

“Secondly, if he tries to cross a border to another country and is caught in possession of drugs, he will find himself in serious trouble.

“It was a pitiful sight to see Europeans obviously addicted to drugs outside expensive hotels, begging for money to keep body and soul together. I wonder how many of them went away for a nice holiday and became hooked?”

Mr Gotlieb said that he had spoken to many young people and those in authority about the drug problem. Unlike New Zealand, many Eastern countries did not advertise their official policy on drug misuse and the approach differed from one country to the next.

Mr Gotlieb, who has represented many clients facing drug charges in New Zealand, was critical of the overseas authorities, who appeared to condone drug dealing. There was no check on the export of drugs and some people were therefore tempted to bring them away with them. Offers to sell drugs were

i made so frequently and so ; openly in the street that the authorities had to be aware , of what was going on. While r they ignored dealing and the ■ use of narcotics, they imposed heavy penalties on anyone caught smuggling : drugs. “Our police authorities

and drug-squad police do a pretty good job here compared with those in Eastern countries,” said Mr Gotlieb. “Having seen the police in some of those countries, I imagine the New Zealand police could hope for rnpre co-operation from them.” Mr Gotlieb visited Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India, and Sri Lanka.