Police Vs Cannabis in Australia. Who is winning?

The Stingo and Kush crew would like to share with you some vital information about the state of the cannabis industry in Australia.

Did you know Australian Federal Police seized a record amount, measured in tonnes of illicit drugs in 2021?

Which in turn bolsters the budget for 2022 and so on and so forth

Here’s the partial press release. Interestingly although the headline fixates on drugs very little is mentioned in the main release and cannabis is mentioned once.

The Australian Federal Police has dismantled crime systems and seized a record amount of illicit drugs in 2020.

Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the AFP continued to keep Australians safe this year by remaining a step ahead of offenders at home and abroad.

Across Australia and offshore, more than 32 tonnes of illicit drugs – the equivalent weight of 24 small cars – have been seized since January by the AFP with assistance from our Commonwealth and state law enforcement partners.

AFP Deputy Commissioner Investigations Ian McCartney said the pandemic saw organised crime groups take bigger risks in attempts to move more illicit goods in bulk as a result of global lockdowns, to make a profit by preying on the demand from Australian drug users.

“Some attempted to smuggle drugs in everyday shipments such as fruit or mustard bottles, hoping the items would be innocuous enough to thwart law enforcement detection. But the AFP and our partners have remained one step ahead and outsmarted these criminal groups, leading to the arrest of more than 200 people during drug investigations alone,” Deputy Commissioner McCartney said.

Deputy Commissioner McCartney said COVID-19 may have closed borders and restricted movement, but it did not limit our commitment or our capacity to stop offenders who were preying on our communities.

“Our members have shown their absolute professionalism and drive to make life as tough as possible for criminals,” DCI McCartney said. “We have also supported State authorities with managing and enforcing border restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus,” he said.

The impacts of the global pandemic saw the AFP respond to new and emerging threats this

“This is not a victimless crime. It is taxpayer money which should have been used to help the most vulnerable members of our community,” Deputy Commissioner McCartney said.

As well as responding to emerging threats, the breadth of our work was evident through major investigations in organised crime networks.

“We are committed to stopping criminals from funding future illegal ventures, or from enjoying lavish lifestyles at the expense of our own health and safety.

Arrested three men and seized about 1.8 tonnes of cocaine – the largest recorded cocaine seizure in Australia – as part of Op Amiens. This saw Australian authorities intercept a drug-filled vessel of the NSW coast new Newcastle in August 2020. 

Did you notice that the article forgot to mention the countless hours spent dismantling cannabis crops? Do you believe that the rest of the country should move to decriminalise cannabis like in Canberra?