LOCAL drug dealers are being paid in drugs, says United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption Advisor Marie Pegie Cauchois.
Speaking at a panel discussion on Transnational Crime in the Pacific at the Fiji Law Society Convention in Nadi, Ms Cauchois explained this was a form of payment for individuals who assisted in the trafficking of drugs within the local market.
“We have heard there is a problem with consumption, and you would wonder why the criminal networks would be interested in selling drugs here when actually we know the highest market price are in New Zealand and Australia,” said Ms Cauchois.
“Here they would not be sold at the same price, instead they would be sold at a really low price.
“Actually, the market has been created in such a way that the people that are helping or facilitating the trade are paid in drugs.
“So they become dependents, not specifically taking the drug, but they become dependent to this financial dependency.”
She said this could also lead to a lack of trust in law enforcement agencies.
“This is also creating this infiltration and the risk on the people that are supposed to be enforcing the law or protecting the borders.
“These are the Customs officers, border police and even private companies receiving the containers, for example, are at risk of being infiltrated as well or being bribed or being used to facilitate this trade.
“This also feeds as well into a lack of trust in the system.
“It is very difficult when the inter vulnerability between these agencies cannot be trusted to share the intel, and the intel is what you need to respond to the issue.
“So if there is no trust between the agencies which is difficult to build, then the intel cannot be shared, it will be difficult to address the problem.”
New Zealand Crown Prosecutor Luke Cunnigham Clere Dennis Dow said methamphetamine and cocaine were sold at lucrative prices.
“In New Zealand the price for 0.1 grams of meth for quite a long time has been stable at $NZ100 ($F130.82),” said Mr Dow.
“So that means a one kilogram of meth at its most broken-down form at street level is worth more than $NZ1million ($F1.3m).
“A kilogram in wholesale fluctuates in the market but for the last few years it has been between $NZ90,000 ($F117,000) and $NZ180,000 ($F235,000) for a kilogram depending on supply.
“A kilogram of meth can be bought from South America, in particular Mexico, for about $NZ5000 ($F6541).
“So when you think about the profit that can be made, you are buying a product for about $NZ5000 potentially selling it for $NZ180,000 at wholesale and possibly even more if you decide to break it down.
“Its massive profits that are available on the New Zealand market.”
