Scandinavian drug smuggling has roots in India too
By Alfred de Tavares, IANS
Stockholm : India, along with Germany and Spain, has emerged as a major supplier of contraband drugs, with narcotics being ordered online from the Scandivanian region.
"Ordering drugs over the net from Scandinavian countries has, unfortunately, reached alarming proportions and is growing more and more," Jonas Carlsson, head of the Swedish customs' undercover section, told IANS.
"India figures prominently among the major players in this nefarious trade. Every day we intercept hundreds of parcels at Arlanda (the Stockholm International Airport) postal terminal alone."
IANS approached him in connection with the smuggling phenomenon premier Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter (DN) exposed in a report Monday.
"Fat brown packages and thinner white envelopes from India, Germany and Spain are sniffed out daily at Arlanda," wrote DN's investigative reporter Sanna Carlsson.
"Enormous amounts of narcotics arrive from these countries," revealed Stefan Rydell of the Arlanda Customs. "What we apprehend is but just the minute tip of an iceberg."
IANS further learnt from a Swedish customs source that "a disproportionate number of the incoming articles from India are postmarked from Goa".
The undisputed sleuth at Arlanda is Toby, a Munsterlander hound.
"Toby is almost never wrong," his proud minder, Frida Martinsson, said. "Whenever Toby sniffs out an article from the large number spread out on a table, it is passed through a X-ray machine. It invariably contains a little packet of brown haschcake, cannabis or some other drug."
"Even when large amounts are seized, our investigators' hunt for the people responsible is hampered by craftily hidden identities. However, we have had a few successes," disclosed the customs source.
"The drugs are packed in all possible, and impossible, objects," he explained. "From books to women´s sanitary towels and children's teddy bears. Ornaments, toys and medicines are all fair camouflage material."
"Now, they resort to various deodorants, perfumes and even coffee to lead narcotics' dogs astray," says Martinsson.
"But none of the subterfuge succeeds in fooling my Toby. He can sniff through them all but only when they are spread out on a table."
"Alás," laments the customs officer. "Far more easily said than done. We have no resources to spread out even a negligible fraction of the ammount of postal material that flows in daily."