Huge increase in seizure of Ecstasy by Customs

The number of Ecstasy tablets intercepted by Customs increased more than 3000 per cent in the past four years.

In the year to June 2003, Customs made 28 big drug seizures, compared with nine the year before and 12 in 2001. They seized 265,447 tablets of MDMA, also known as Ecstasy, compared with 7969 tablets in the year to June 2000, 28,166 in 2001 and 119,897 in 2002.

More than 530,000 tablets of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, chemicals for the making of methamphetamine, were seized in the eight months to August.