Drug smuggling

Why Colombian drug cartels are targeting Australia

TRAFFICKING cocaine out of Colombia is big business. And Australia is the drug cartels’ most profitable market.

It’s the most lucrative destination for traffickers because we have the highest international prices for cocaine. The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commissions estimates that a gram of cocaine fetches $A250-900 in Australia, at least 100-200% more than the European average.

But that’s not the only reason Colombia’s cocaine is heading here. Colombian drug cartels look to Australia out of necessity. As the power of the infamous Colombian cartels of the 80s and 90s diminished, Mexico has established itself as the new power and gained control of the US market.

So according to Colombian narcotics expert Ariel Avila, Australia along with Brazil, Argentina and South Africa, is of increasing importance for the Colombian cartels.

“In recent years Colombian narco-traffickers have sought new routes and markets for drugs, fundamentally because Mexican cartels have control of the United States”, he told news.com.au.