Weeded out: the Internet drugs trade

The Evening Press today exposes a scandal that is sweeping the Internet - and reveals the alarming ease with which children can get hold of potent drugs.

With ten spare minutes, Internet access and cash or credit cards, they can order strong herbal cannabis through the post - and there is little the authorities can do to stop it.

Websites based in Holland or Switzerland, where attitudes are more liberal, are legally able to sell the drug, though it is illegal for UK residents to import it.

Importation of a Class B drug carries a sentence of up to 14 years in prison

Evening Press reporter Dan Rutstein was detained by police after demonstrating how easy it was: he bought a quantity of the Class B drug from a Swiss-based website, and after it arrived through his letterbox he handed it in to drugs squad officers at Fulford Road Police Station.

"The Internet is a fantastic communication tool," said DC Paul Johnson, North Yorkshire Police's drugs expert, "but there are many people who are abusing it.

"The Internet gives more people better access to many things. Unfortunately, drugs are one of them.

"It is a worrying new phenomenon but we are looking at new ways of combating it."

The postal services can do nothing to stem the flow. A spokesman for Royal Mail said: "We can only open items as part of a police investigation. Our job is simply to deliver the mail.

"However, it is an offence under the Post Office Act to send illegal materials in the post."

Although Customs are empowered to open mail, it would be impossible for them to open every item.

A spokesman for HM Customs said: "The importation of drugs is, of course, a problem, but we regularly open mail and have seized large quantities of controlled substances in the past."

He explained that if drugs are found in packages, checked by detector dogs and x-ray machines, customs officers would then visit the addressee to make further investigations.

Some of the European suppliers, however, inform the reader that "nothing will happen to you if you get caught".

One Dutch-based company even offered to send out replacement packages if the original ones were to get stopped at the border.

The companies selling cannabis over the Net run tight operations ensuring both they and their clients are protected. Some use post office boxes to retrieve mail and regularly change their website addresses and company names.

Some argue that computer sales have a clear advantage over dark alleys and shady corners for both buyers and sellers - but that is of scant comfort to parents.

However, Dan Oliver, features editor at Internet Works magazine, said there was action that parents could take.

"With Net nanny style programmes it is possible to enter key words which can then filter accessible sites.

"If you were to enter drugs, or cannabis, it should stop access to any sites related to those keywords.

"This kind of protection technology is very useful as it becomes easier and easier to get hold of any type of drug on the Internet."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.