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28
of the East India Company in London
to the slums of San Francisco, the
Emperors of China, the respected mer–
chants of New York and Boston, and to
those great centers of modero drug traf–
fic in Caico, Bangkok, and Singapore"
(page 38).
Officials estímate about 200 tons of
opium are diverted annually from culti–
vation in Middle Eastern countries, such
as Turkey. Another 1000 tons of opium
are illegally produced in southeast Asia,
including Red China.
"This quantity of raw material,"
stated a United Nations report, "could
yield approximately 120 tons of mor–
phine or even somewhat more of
heroin. Assuming that an addict daily
consumes no more than three thera–
peutic doses of morphine or heroin, the
opium could annually supply more than
ten mil/ion morph;,u addicts oc
more
than
Jruenty mil/ion heroin mers
. . _."
Opium addiction, or addiction to any
of its derivatives such as morphine or
heroin, is obviously a problem of
worldwide
dimensions.
It
is not just a
United States problc:m. Increasingly, it
is a British problem, a Canadian prob–
lem, a French problcm, a Scandinavian
problem, a Dutch problem, a German
problem, an Australian problem, a South
African problem.
A fcw official estimates show the
eoormity aod scope of the scourge: Teh–
ran, Iran, 40,000 addicts; Puerto Rico,
10,000; Hong Kong, 80,000; India,
340,000; the United States, 200,000.
All these are estimates. No one can
estímate the size of the problem in
Egypt, the Middle East, Vietnam and
China because these countries try to play
down their role in the opium black mar–
ket. But these and many other nations
are directly or indirectly involved.
Tentacles of the Uoderworld
Each year an estimated 400-600 tons
of opium are smuggled out of southeast
Asia, the bulk of it from Burma and
Laos. On its way to the Americas, much
of this opium passes through Thailand
where 15-50 tons are added to the
St~p
ply. Until recently, experts believed that
the Uoited States got only about five
percent of its heroin from southeast
Asia, but sorne officials now think they
underestimated the amount.
TIJe
PLAIN TRUTH
Opium is converted into morphine in
crude laboratories in northern Thailand
and the morphine is converted into pure
heroin in or around Bangkok. Smugglers
purcbase heroin in Bangkok at $2,250 a
kilo. Once it reaches the United States,
its price jumps to over $10,000 a kilo.
By the time it is "cut," it sells for about
a quarter mi Ilion dollars!
The focal point of narcotics smuggl–
ing through the Far East is Hong
Kong, which has one of the highest
narcotic addiction rates in the world.
About four fifths of the illicit opium
and heroin smuggled into the United
States originates in Turkey. The opium
is grown in wild, remote arcas by Tur–
kish farmers who receive about Sl0-$15
a pound. The opium is smuggled into
Syria and Lebanon where it is chem–
ically transformed into a morphine base,
reducing its bulk by
90
percent. The
chemist reccives S5 per kilo (about 2.2
pounds) for the morphine base. From
there it may be smuggled by ship
to Corsica, or to Marseilles in southern
F
rance, where secret laboratories process
the morphine base into pure powdery
heroin. Here the chemist may receive
$700 per kilo of heroin he produces.
Cooversion of the morphine base into
pure heroin usually is done at or around
Marseilles. It is a dangerous, sophis–
ticated process that requires a knowl–
edge of chemistry and a modero, well–
equipped laboratory. A slip-up can
cause a severe explosion. It is estimated
that at least six - perhaps twice that
number - secret heroin factories are in
operation around Marseilles, operated
by ruthless Corsican gangsters.
The Smuggliog Operation!
Narcotics have been smuggled in hol–
lowed-out books, scuba tanks, disguised
as fruit, in canned fru it, false-bottomed
suitcases, concealed compartments in
trucks or automobiles, or in the mail
labeled as innocent gifts. Women hide
them in girdles, brassieres. "Pregnant"
women hide them in false stomachs.
From Europeao ports, the heroin is
smuggled by ship or airplane into the
United States or Canada - to a port
city, or a major airport such as Toronto,
Philadelphia, New York, or any num–
ber of others.
March 1971
Since there are 350 ports of entry in
the United States and 220 million trav–
elers pass through them each year,
beroin smugglers stand a good chance
of carrying off their operation unde–
tectcd. Customs ageots estímate that
they seize only about one tenth of the
contraband shipped into the United
States.
The Turkish farmer migbt receive
about S35 per kilo (about 2.2 pounds)
of opium. The courier who brings the
refined heroin into the United States
may be an unknowing exchange student
who is given $200 to bring a car
into the country. American smugglers,
mainly members of the Maña, or Cosa
Nostra, may pay $10,000 for a kilo.
The wholesaler gets the same ( or a
diluted) kilo for about $18,000, and he
will probably charge the distributor
$32,000 for a "ki lo" (by now, heavily
diluted, cut with lactose, quinine, etc.).
By the time the heroin reaches the
addict or "junkie," the original kilo
will make about 54,000 packets of
heroin at $5 a bag, each bag containing
fivc grains of
5%
heroin!
The original kilo of opium, on the
strc:ct, might fetch $225,000. Sorne
estimates say half a million dollars!
A single Harlem distributor of heroin
raked in unbelievable profits until Fed–
eral Narcotics agents cracked down on
him. He had a net income - total prof–
its - of $29,000
every single week, or
over a million dollars a year, until be
got careless.
Clearly, thcrc's a lot of money
in
the
narcotics traffic!
Who is involved in narcotics traffic?
In sorne countries, the most respectable
cirdes - the highest ranking govern–
ment officials, leading politicians, for–
eign diplomats, cabinet officials in sorne
Asian lands. In Laos the Army is said
to be involved and the Air Force of that
country allegedly transports opium. Cor–
ruption among high officials is com–
monplace. The temptation for "easy
money" is too great.
The Mob
The ioternational narcotics traffic -
especially heroin - is dominated by the
Maña. The Mafia is an organiza'cion