The Role of Chemicals Control in the Fight against Illicit Drug Production and Trafficking

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/eb025840
Published date01 January 1998
Pages272-275
Date01 January 1998
AuthorD.C. Jayasuriya
Subject MatterAccounting & finance
Journal of Financial Crime Vol. 5 No. 3 Illicit Trade
ILLICIT TRADE
The Role of Chemicals Control in the Fight against
Illicit Drug Production and Trafficking
D. C. Jayasuriya
Since the adoption of the 1988 UN Convention
against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psy-
chotropic Substances, an increasing number of
state parties are according attention to the regula-
tion of precursors. The term 'precursor' is neither
a scientific nor a technical term. It is used to refer
to various substances such as chemicals, acids, sol-
vents and reagents that are frequently used in the
illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs and psycho-
tropic substances.
Unlike certain plant-based narcotic drugs and
synthetic drugs such as heroin, cocaine or LSD
the production, marketing and use of which are
prohibited in most countries the chemicals that
are required for their illicit manufacture are manu-
factured by the licit industry for licit purposes.
They are accessed by the illicit drug industry by
diverting them to sites where drugs are illicitly
produced. Since precursors have essentially licit
uses with a large network of legitimate users, not
all substances used in the illicit manufacture of
drugs are under international or national control,
or both.
Under the 1988 Convention some 22 precursors
have been brought under international control
regimes. These are listed in two tables annexed to
the Convention (Tables I and II) (see Annex 1).
The Convention provides for the revision of the
two tables by additions, deletions or transferring
one substance from one table to the other. Since
the Convention came into force, there has been
one revision to expand the number of substances
under international control. Even though only 22
precursors are subject to international control,
nearly 100 precursors worldwide have been
brought under national control regimes. In certain
parts of the world where cocaine is manufactured,
commonly used products such as kerosene and
diesel are among those subject to national controls.
A number of substances go into the manufacture
of illicit drugs. For instance, acetic anhydride is the
acetylating substance that is frequently used in the
conversion of morphine into heroin. Using tradi-
tional methods of manufacture, to make one kilo-
gram of heroin, for instance, it is necessary to have
10 kilograms of opium and approximately 20 kilo-
grams of various chemicals. Out of these 20 kilo-
grams, acetic anhydride will constitute 2.5
kilograms. Some but not all the chemicals used in
the process are also subject to international control.
Acetic anhydride, for which there is a significant
demand from sites where heroin is manufactured,
has extensive uses within the licit industry, includ-
ing the pharmaceutical, textile and leather indus-
tries.
Similarly, ephedrine, which is used in the
illicit manufacture of methamphetamine, is legally
used by the pharmaceutical industry to manu-
facture bronchodilators and cough syrups.
The control systems in the 1988 Convention are
structured on the assumption that, by exercising
better controls over the movement of precursors
from the stage of production to disposal by the
end-user, it will be possible to restrict access to
them by illicit drug manufacturers, thus reducing
the quantity of illicit drugs manufactured.
Article 12 of the 1988 Convention is the princi-
pal article that deals with precursors. (See Annex 2
for Article 12 and some other important provi-
sions.) It deals with the regulation of domestic as
well as international commerce by prescribing
licensing systems. The Convention lays down only
the minimum measures and parties are encouraged
to adopt more strict or severe measures as may be
desirable or necessary. National control systems in
place range from licensing or approval systems to
total bans on the manufacture, import, export and
use of certain precursors. The Convention pro-
vides for a system of pre-export notification for
Table I precursors. Some importing countries
require, and some exporting countries provide,
voluntarily as a matter of routine, such prior notice
in respect of Table II precursors as well. Exchange
Page 272

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