We know what you’re thinking: Surely it’s somewhere in South America? Colombia? Peru? What about the United States? Nope, according to a new investigation, Australia reportedly has the highest number of cocaine users per capita of any country in the world.
Yep, while countries in South America may be known for cocaine production, it seems that when it comes to users Australia comes out on top – despite the efforts of the police to stem the supply.
“It is an absolute tsunami of drugs entering this country and you can’t blame the police – they’re a little force fighting it at the front end, but we are just being absolutely swamped by drugs, by meth, but mostly by cocaine,” explains News Corp Australia senior correspondent Charles Miranda.
According to the investigation, cocaine trade in Australia is said to be worth around $2 billion, with five-and-a-half tonnes of it consumed there every year.
So where is most of it going? Sydney, apparently.
Data from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s wastewater analysis last year showed that Sydney consumed 15 doses of cocaine per 1,000 people on an average day. Comparatively, Melbourne recorded six doses and Brisbane five, while Canberra recorded 10 doses.
“What we know from our wastewater data is that cocaine is a serious drug for the country. Australians are a country of stimulant users – cocaine is a stimulant,” said Dr Katie Willis from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. “All of the data that we have is pointing in the direction of expansion in the cocaine market.”
Once a drug choice of the rich and famous, cocaine has permeated through all tiers of society – at no cheaper price. According to reports, a gram of coke will set people back around $300 in Australia, compared to $3 to $14 in Mexico or $60 and $80 in the US.
“When you look at the way where Australia is, and you look at the price you can pay for a kilo of cocaine in America, or even Australia to South America – South America [it’s] $3000 a kilo, here, $230,000 a kilo,” says Detective Superintendent Martin Fileman of New South Wales Police
Organised Crime Squad. “So the risks that these facilitators or these organised crime syndicates in Australia – they are willing to take [them].”
And despite the best efforts of the authorities, there doesn’t appear to be any signs of them stopping anytime soon.
“The unfortunate part about it is we have a market over here for cocaine, so as long as we’ve got a market, they’re going to keep importing it,” Superintendent Fileman added.
