Closed Aussie borders are making life difficult for drug smugglers
The COVID-19 pandemic is making it hard for Mexican drug cartels to smuggle cocaine and methamphetamine into Australia.
Travel restrictions and ramped up border security have led to dwindling supplies in Australia and skyrocketing prices.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration estimates a kilo of meth was worth between $US90,000 and $US130,000 ($A128,000 ā $A185,000) in Australia before the pandemic, but now sells for around $US200,000.
Cocaine followed a similar price spike, with dealers passing the rise on to the drug users.
āAs businesses are having to adjust, every arm of cartels are having to adjust,ā the DEAās Australia attache Kevin Merkel told the Louisville Courier Journal.
Australia is the cartelās āmost sought-after illicit drug marketā, with Australians more willing to pay a higher price for top-quality Mexican meth than US buyers.
The pandemic has substantially cut air travel to Australia and shut down cruise ship visits, making it difficult to sneak drugs in and take the huge sums of cash they make out.
Americaās tightened borders have also slowed the flow of drugs and cash over the US-Mexican border.
In Los Angeles, wholesale meth prices have doubled from $US900 per pound at the end of last year to $US1800 to $US2000.
āThereās been stockpiling of drugs and money on both sides of the southwest border, and money-laundering activity has decreased,ā J. Todd Scott, special agent in charge of the DEAās Louisville field division, said.
Stay informed, daily
āPeople, in general, arenāt moving; stuff isnāt moving. Cartels function best when they can kind of move undercover, move with the legitimate commerce.ā
The Courier Journal also found travel restrictions to and from China slowed the importation of precursor chemicals cartels need to make meth and fentanyl.
-AAP
Want to see more stories from InDaily Qld in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily Qld as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily Qld". That's it.
