Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 25 Jun 2003

Vol. 569 No. 4

Written Answers. - Drug Seizures.

Billy Timmins

Ceist:

256 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the total quantity of cocaine seized in the Dublin area since 1 January 2003; the street value of this quantity; the number of people who have been charged for possession or supply of the drug in connection with these seizures; the number of people who have been found guilty to date; the sentences imposed on them; the number awaiting trial; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17979/03]

Billy Timmins

Ceist:

257 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the breakdown by country, or other such information, relating to cocaine seized in the Dublin area since 1 January 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17980/03]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 257 together.

Details of the total cases involving cocaine analysed by the Forensic Science Laboratory since 1 January 2003 to date in the Dublin metropolitan area are as follows:

Number of Cases	Quantity	Estimated Value
60	49.75Kg	€ 5,054,144

All Garda and Customs drug seizures are forwarded to the Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis. It is important to note that while there may be indications that a particular drug seizure appears to be cocaine, the substance must be examined by the Forensic Science Laboratory to confirm whether it is cocaine.

From 1 January 2003 to date, there have been 61 cases involving cocaine, for possession or supply, where proceedings have commenced and there are 115 cases where proceedings are being considered for possession or supply of cocaine. I am informed by the Garda authorities that details of the results of proceedings which commenced since 1 January 2003 are not available. The Garda has informed me that in order to ascertain the number of cases which have been finalised, a manual search in respect of each case would have to be undertaken. This could only be done by the expenditure of a disproportionate amount of staff time and resources. However, the Garda authorities have indicated that it is probable that the vast majority of these cases will not yet have been disposed of through the courts.

The Courts Service does not break down records of the number of persons found guilty, sentences imposed and numbers awaiting trial in drugs offences by specific drug type. With regard to a breakdown by country of origin in respect of individual cocaine seizures analysed, I am advised by the Garda authorities that this is not available. However, I am advised that global production of cocaine is concentrated in the countries of Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, accounting for 67%, 21% and 12%, respectively, of world production; that the bulk of cocaine shipments are trafficked from the Andean region via the Caribbean or via a few South American countries and that Spain and the Netherlands continue to be the main countries of entry of cocaine into the European Union.