Major drugs haul

[Marian Gray]

Personally I would ban trolls!

[Allen James Jones]

Hi John. When I moved south I spent 3 years with the Australian Customs Service ( HMC as they were then,1969-73). The service, being Federal, was split into a number of occupations with the frontline (waterfront, airport ) at the lower end of the scale. There was no dedicated drugs team. In Sydney we had one officer responsible for this who could request support from we plebes when necessary. Just before I left to return to NZ the government decided to create a dedicated squad. As is usual they decided to staff this team with Victoria Police Drug Squad members. These were the best officers money could buy. Great salesmen who were able to shift large volumes of nasty substances to a demanding public. Sadly, this finally led to a Royal Commission which divested Customs of its drug role and handed it over the the Federal Police. I have retired after 36 years in the NZ Customs Service and have watched how we were excluded from vital information on drug imports due to the Feds' reluctance to deal with non-police authorities.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

The first of the big Music? festivals in Sydney ended with two dead and seven in hospital, they will never learn? The blokes were in their 20s. I suppose the scream for pill testing will increase, what puzzles me is if the pill tests as unsafe will it make a difference to the pepole taking it.
Ds

[j.sabourn]

#12 Allen being on ships out here especially as Master knew a lot of Customs officers , in fact one of the head honchoes now retired was going back into the Chair of my local lodge for about the fourth time and as he is the same age as me he must be keen. Was invited to the ceremony and went. One thing I particularly noted especially when leaving the country by air the same officers at the airport were the same as the boarding officers on the ships and was quite often pulled up jokingly and asked if I had over $10,000 on my person. The last time must have been 2001 flying back into Perth from Singapore I went to the trouble of carrying
$9999 Australian on my person but declared it before being asked . They were on the ball and counted it. Cheers JS

[happy daze john in oz]

My neighbor was for some years with the immigration department and was on a number of occasions sent to Indonesia on drug watch.
A large amount was coming from there at one time, but not so much now.
Indonesia has cracked down very hard on drugs, now a piece of 303 lead gets many of them.

As to pill testing, the NSW 'Greens' yes them again, are complaining the gov is not rolling out the pill testing quick enough.

Last time I looked taking pills was not compulsory, up to the individual.
Saw a dem o of how they are tested, crushed by a machine then the dust put through a number of mixes.
So if safe you have to go and buy a second one?????????????

You can legislate for idiots but you cannot quarantine them.

[j.sabourn]

My sons mother in law was a uk customs officer unfortuanetley now deceased . However in retirement was often called upon to act the part of a drug mule to test the efficiency of those guarding our shores. JS

[Allen James Jones]

JS; appreciate your comments. In 1969 I had just completed a delivery of a shrimp boat from Brownsville, Texas to Port Moresby. Went on leave to Sydney and due to a lack of housing in PM decided to apply for a job in Sydney. Went for a Customs position and crew on the University of NSW research vessel. Got both but decided on Customs. Better salary. Started off on the waterfront then after 18 months transferred to the then newish Kingsford Smith airport. Interesting times. We may have met. By the way did you ever know a mate of mine, Ken Kinloch. He served with Karlander New Guinea Line then BHP. Lived in the Melbourne area. Also Mick Deed who was Harbour Master at Newcastle, NSW.

[Allen James Jones]

My wife hated travelling to third world countries with me. I had no hesitation in pulling up the crims they employed as Customs Officers when they tried to pocket some of our bits and pieces. Pakistan was the worst. I really went to town on the Spanish Admiral type who put us through a full search on departure. I informed him that his head man had just been hosted by NZ Customs and I had the opportunity to chat with him about future training endeavours. Revenge is sweet. AJ.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

The stupidity of pill testing is that once tested they give the pill back to the recipient, and give them the verdict. Passive or dangerous, then it's still up to the person to choose and I would suspect they would still take a chance for a high, Heaven high that is.
Des

[j.sabourn]

#17 only been here since 1991 Allen . First ship out here was December 91 was the Pacific Dart one of a few Swires ships of Hong Kong but taken on bare boat charter by Total Marine of Fremantle , apart from work on the oil fields I spent a good bit of time taking vessels back and forward to Singapore. The one thing very noticeable was the condemnation of foreign foods on arrival in Australia hence our stores leaving Singapore and sometimes New Guinea were as little as possible as would finish up in the condemned skip on arrival. The one harbourmaster I was friendly with was in Eden he was an ex Supply ship master. Spent some time there as we fitted out for an Optus bottom survey Sydney to Auckland . Is that your address today Cambridge ? Or is there one in Australia as well, I know there is a North Shields here as used to pass it in the bus going out to the helipad to fly out to the rigs in the Bass strait area. Cheers JS