大麻事件過去最大

(Mainichi Japan) August 7, 2008

Cannabis-related crimes hit record high

大麻事件：過去最多…自宅栽培など急増　上半期・警察庁

 

The number of cannabis-related crimes reported during the first half of this year marked a record high at 1,686, the National Police Agency (NPA) said on Thursday.

The NPA said the figure was an increase by 9.1 percent from the January-June period last year.

Police departments across the country either arrested or reported to prosecutors 1,202 people for violating the Cannabis Control Law between January and June this year, up 12.3 percent from the same period last year.

The number of cases involving cannabis has been steadily increasing since 2005, when there were 2,831 such cases. The figure marked a record high last year, at 3,282.

The NPA said more younger people are becoming involved in such crimes. During the first half of this year, 65 percent (781) of those arrested or reported to prosecutors for violating the Cannabis Control Law were in their teens or 20s. The age bracket was followed by those in their 30s, at 286.

There were 91 reported cases in which cannabis plants were illegally grown over the first half of this year, up 24.7 percent from the same period last year. A total of 73 people were arrested or reported to prosecutors for growing cannabis, an increase by 46 percent from the corresponding period last year.

In many cases, suspects learn how to grow cannabis through the Internet and books and try their hand at growing cannabis by collecting seeds from wild cannabis or purchasing seeds from dealers.

Meanwhile, the number of cases involving stimulants also increased, the NPA said. There were 8,984 reported cases of violations of the Stimulants Control Law during the first half of this year, an increase of 13.3 percent from the corresponding period last year. In these cases, 6,216 people were arrested or reported to prosecutors -- up 8.8 percent from the same period last year.

However, the amount of stimulants confiscated during the January-June period this year -- 42.1 kilograms -- largely decreased from the same period last year, by 55.4 percent.

The NPA attributes the decrease to tightened controls over stimulants by authorities in China and Southeast Asian countries.

The street value of stimulants, which was 10,000 yen per 0.2 grams as of the end of 2007, skyrocketed to 10,000 yen per 0.1 gram in June this year.

The NPA suspects that drug trafficking rings may be shifting their focus from scarce stimulants to cannabis.

 

Words and Phrases:

cannabis＝大麻

the National Police Agency (NPA)＝警視庁

prosecutors＝検察

violating the Cannabis Control Law＝大麻取締法違反

grow cannabis＝けしを栽培する、当麻を栽培する

stimulants＝覚せい剤

violations of the Stimulants Control Law＝覚せい剤取締法違反

 

大麻事件：過去最多…自宅栽培など急増　上半期・警察庁

 

警察庁は７日、今年上半期（１～６月）の薬物事犯の検挙状況をまとめた。大麻取締法違反容疑で、上半期としては過去最多の１６８６件（昨年同期比９．１％増）、１２０２人（同１２．３％増）を逮捕や書類送検した。年間最多の３２８２件の摘発だった昨年を上回るペースで、大麻栽培が発覚するケースが目立っている。覚せい剤取締法違反容疑の摘発も８９８４件（同１３．３％増）、６２１６人（同８．８％増）と増加した。

大麻摘発は、０５年の２８３１件が年々増加。昨年最多だった。今年上半期の検挙者を年齢別で見ると、１０～２０歳代の若年層が７８１人と全体の６５％を占めた。続いて、３０歳代の２８６人だった。大麻栽培では９１件（同２４．７％増）、７３人（同４６．０％増）が検挙され急増している。警察庁によると、インターネットや書物などで栽培方法を学んだうえで、自生する大麻の種を採取したり、栽培目的であることを隠し、販売店から種を購入するなどして育てていることが多いという。

一方、覚せい剤事件では検挙者数は増加したが、押収量は４２．１キロ（同５５．４％減）と大幅に減少した。同庁は、中国や東南アジア諸国が国外流出の取り締まりを強化したことで、日本国内での流通量が減少していると分析している。末端密売価格は０７年末では０．２グラムで１万円だったが、今年６月には０．１グラムで１万円と倍の値段に高騰した。薬物の密売グループも品薄の覚せい剤から大麻販売に移っている可能性があるとみている。【遠山和彦】

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毎日新聞　2008年8月7日　11時44分（最終更新　8月7日　11時51分）