23 January 2013 Last updated at 15:12 ET George Soros, the billionaire investor, has called for an end to the West's "war on drugs". Mr Soros has thrown his weight behind a push by Guatemalan President Perez Molina, who recently declared that prohibition should be abandoned. Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Mr Soros said that the narcotics trade threatened stability in many countries. He also said austerity "demanded" a new approach to drugs policy, as incarceration was very expensive. While he admitted that he did not have a specific solution to the problem, Mr Soros said he was "very, very optimistic" of seeing a new approach to the "festering problem of drugs". "What got me involved is that the war on drugs was doing more damage than the drugs themselves," he told a press conference alongside President Molina. "I have a strong conviction that the current approach is doing more harm than good, and it has endangered more political stability in a lot of countries. That we need to change." President Molina said he would organise a meeting of Latin American leaders next June to discuss the issue, which will involve several groups including Mr Soros' foundation. The "war … Continue reading →

Two Wellington men avoided arrest for several years after hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of drugs were hidden in a secure area at Auckland Airport. However, nearly four years later, a 220-gram package of methamphetamine - worth up to $1000 a gram - was discovered in the Customs-controlled area of the airport. Police claim forensic testing and other evidence link the stash to Anthony Brian Newton, 54, and Dinesh Kumar Manoharan, 36, who now face charges relating to those drugs. Customs admitted to The Dominion Post yesterday that the drugs were found hidden in an area it controlled. It would not say where or how they were hidden. Now Labour's Customs spokesman is questioning how the slip-up could have happened. "We take great pride in the safety and security of our borders - it's a lot of our international reputation," Mana MP Kris Faafoi said. "They have to be watertight, but in this instance it appears they weren't." Customs said it had reviewed its procedures after the incident, but did not say how. "It is clear that both Customs and NZ Police believe that the two offenders are directly responsible for these drugs being placed within the airport," a … Continue reading →