Australia is losing the fight to disrupt illicit drug supply chains, not for lack of effort, but because we need additional weapons and new approaches. Despite record-breaking seizures and sophisticated policing, national wastewater data tells a grim truth: drug consumption is not falling. If we want to shift the balance, law enforcement must pivot from chasing kilos to disrupting profits, treating drug markets not just as criminal enterprises, but as global, agile economies vulnerable to targeted economic attack. For decades, Australia’s illicit drug strategy has been grounded in the triad of harm minimisation, demand reduction and supply control. While the first two pillars continue to evolve through public health programs and community education, supply reduction has seen enforcement innovation but not new strategies. On paper, their efforts are formidable: container inspections, border operations, surveillance, undercover operations, arrests and record seizures. But despite operational successes, the actual availability of drugs on Australia’s street appears unchanged. We’re seizing more, but the market is not shrinking. Moreover, this reveals we are not affecting criminal profits.
In the fight against drugs, Australia should follow the money | The Strategist
