Proposed drug penalties way to go

WE are getting there.
Drug offenders, under a proposed new law, could face life imprisonment or 50 years in jail.
Under the proposed drug law, offenders could be either prosecuted in the district or national court, depending on the severity of the offence.
So, basically, the amount of prison term ranges from the volume and the toxicity of the drug.
Attorney-General and Justice secretary Dr Eric Kwa said the drafting of the “Control Substances Bill” was approved by the Government two months ago.
Dr Kwa said he hoped the Bill was tabled in Parliament before the end of the year.
Police in Papua New Guinea currently use the Drug Act 1954, which has a maximum jail term of only two years.
That is only a slap-on-the-wrist jail term.
The Act carried only four offences of cultivating, harvesting, in possession and consuming of marijuana.
Marijuana, or cannabis, is the most commonly used illicit drug in the country.
There is no secret that this drug has been around in communities and the increase in cases should now be a concern.
The soft penalties are definitely no way a deterrent to those involved in what many say is a lucrative business.
Drug-related offences in the country, especially on marijuana trafficking, has increased.
The announcement of the proposed new penalties is something authorities have been asking for with the increase in the drug bust and arrest.
Dr Kwa said at the moment, there was no law concerning cocaine.
“You would have followed the court proceedings that we brought against the individuals that were involved in the cocaine bust and you would have noticed that we would not have been able to successfully prosecute those individuals in procession and dealing with cocaine because we don’t have a law on that,” he said.
“This the reason why the new Control Substance Act will cover that area.”
And, if you remember, about two years ago, The National published a front page picture of two convicted drug offenders who were deported and as they entered the Jackson International Airport terminal, they gave the peace or victory sign.
The message behind that sign could mean many, but one that stood out because of what the men were involved in was, the mere penalties in our laws.
The two men were among seven foreigners) caught with cocaine worth about AU$1.5 million (about K3.4 million) by a joint police and Defence Force navy team on a naval patrol boat about 50 nautical miles from Budibudi Island in Milne Bay on May 23, 2019.
For that, they were sentenced to 18 months in prison.
And, hopefully, with this new law, we will now stop the migration of cocaine into the country.
The Bill, we read, is comprehensive and very modern and is on par with similar drug laws in Australia, Samoa and the Cook Islands.
“We tried to put the death sentence for possessing drugs like Malaysia (and) Indonesia, but based on other considerations we decided to put life (imprisonment) to 50 years in the law,” Dr Kwa said.
The review and proposed new penalties is better than nothing.
The Bill will cover cocaine, ice (crystal methamphetamine), all matter of drugs including the use of certain medicines for mixing and developing illegal drugs.
We wait and follow in anticipation that the Control Substance Bill is tabled and passed in Parliament this year so police can arrest, charge and prosecute offenders under the proposed law.