LEAGUE OE NATIONS,
C. 427 .11.191.1930. XI. O.C. 23 (d) 19,
Geneva, August 13th, 1930.
?RAEEIC IN OPIUM AND OTHER DANGEROUS DRUGS.
Report by the Government of Greece for the year 1929 on the traffic in ooiurn and other dangerous drugs.
NOTE BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
The Secretary-General has the honour to
circulate the attached report for the information of the States Members and ncn-Members of the League, end the Advisory Committee on Traffic in Opium and other
Dangerous Drugs. its establishment un+_il the er3 of 1929 .
With a view to applying the provisions of the Geneva
Opium Convention, signed on February 19th, 19 25 and subsequently ratified by Law 4175 of June I7 th, 1929, the compstent departments of the Ministries ef Finance and Public Health considered it expedient to establish a Fa root ic Drugs Monopoly by conferring on the State the sole right to import and sell narcotic drugs and power to exercise supervision over;
1. The production of opium within the country,
2 , The transit trade in raw opium through the Free
Zone of Salonika,
3» The consumption of narcotic drugs furnished by
the Stats Monopoly to pharmacists and heads of clinics
and hospitals,
4. The intensive campaign against the snuggling of
drags.
The Dec re e-Law of October 14th, 1925, ’’concerning the
Monopoly in narcotic drugs’*, was promulgated in execution of the foregoing programme and came into force on September 1st,
19 25 „
Aft or this date, all imports of narcotic drags and their transit or transshipment at Greek ports were prohibited,
The despatch of ns"1 -otics by parcel post or as "samples without value" from foreign countries to persons in Greece was also made illegal. The greatest vigilance is exercised in this respect ; any articles discovered arc d estroyed and criminal proceedings instituted vainst the consignees where the parcel is believed to have been despatched with their knowledge. -3 —
The opium poppy (P^osvor somniferum) msy not bo gro'vn in Groses unloss c, permit is obtained from tho competent ophorr-.lt37, stating tho ores to bo cult ivetod in strommato. end the estimated output of opium. The amount of the opium crop must also bo declared to tho same authority and is kept under supervision until its export cbrocd, hitherto carried out via tho Free Zone- of Sa Ion ice..
Further, immediately after tho comin3 into force of tho Dscroe-Law concerning narcotic drugs, pharmacists were required to doclaro and register the quantities of drugs hold by them nnd wore then given a period of throe months within which to soli or export their stocks. On tho expiration of this period, narcotics remaining in their possession had to bo hended over to the Treasury through the ophorc.ltios, compensation being paid for the drugs at a rate determined by the Presidents of the Courts of first instance. At the same time, tho Stats Monopoly provided pharmacists with fresh stocks of narcotic drugs on tho basis of special permits issued by the Ministry of Public Health and indicating tho annual quantity of each drug which the pharmacist was entitled to obtain from the State Monopoly according to the grade in which his business had been classified by the Supreme Council for Public Health.
Each pharmacist is given two books, in on : of which records are kept of each purchase of narcotic drugs from the Monopoly and in the other of drugs supplied by the pharmacist, those being given only on a medical proscription. Severe penalties are inflicted on persons who fail to observe these regulations.
Stocks of narcotic drugs handed over, as described above by those in possession of them, to the Treasury remain under seal with the authorities pending a decision as to their disposal. The view generally taken is that those drugs should -A—
"bn examined ond sorted o u t. Drugs vdics e 'rig in , quality or c om 'os it ion is doubtful oould bn destroyed ohile the ronr indcr would b' tran sfer rod to the Gentr- 1 Depot of the Monopoly, after being seed'".Hr olccd. roe-' could bo issued for
UE
Ac c e rd inc- to tho port icule.r 3 rece ivod, the QU
ic drugs hande d over t0 the Tr■on sur y by tho op"
llOTTS i
1 ) Co ce. le of *.... • •. 9,000 gr 021210 S .
2 ) Onium O Q 5 Q5 ^ 1 ”
3) 3.e It s n** .70 "
4) So Its of coca in e •.... .25,575 e Ç c » 5) Pontopen , 2,150 .08 "
5) Domenon . 1 0 1 _ IT
7) TTcr d n (Din cot vireorohin 0 ) ~\ 0 p A..03 " qs tt 8 ) Bionine (Ht 0 7 lmerphin 0 ) . 2,880
c ^ n 0 . 9 4 ”
1 0 ) P- ntopen (2 o solot ion) •• _l^ , _>Ol . R 0 ” u li) D^nonoii (2 'v so lut i e n ) .- • 330 1 ~r to ry 1 2 ) Pantopon (0 . 0 1 tobi t s . •. — ) t ~ b 1 "*t S t? 13) Domenon (0 . 0 1 too X "b £ •• •.2 5,7S0
14) - 'oroh ino* (tablets ) .... . 7,300 n
15) Cocainc (tablets \ 520 11
15) Domotrine Tt 000
17) tt it
15) Pontopon S Xr-r* u. 35 bottl 2 3
19) 'or oh ine (ohi 0 1 s ) .... • •105,15 5 phials
?t R ? C I rt on ) Cocoine .... ~r> ,
It 2 1 ) 1? n r>- "u û "D 0 TÏ It .... 18,963
tt 2 ° ) Heroin (Diocetylm0rphin 0 ) ç P53
Sor \/ Dionine (Hthvlmor ohino) • 9,132 tt
84) Dor.io non 431 V
25) Domotrino 1, 561 tr -D—
Out of these stocks the following quantities hare
been destroyed in accordance with instructions from the
Ministry of Finance and in the presence of a soecial Commission
Ooca leaf ...... 1 , 0 0 0 grammes
Op iu m ...... 7,189 "
3 Salts of morphine ...... 9 27 "
4 Salts of cocaine ...... 186
5 Pantopon ...... 233 n
6 Domopon ...... 101 "
7 Heroin (Diacetylmorphine) 139
8 Dionine (Ethylmorphine) ... 642 "
9 1'Tarceine ...... TT
10 Pantopon ( solution) ... 560 ,r
11 ’antopon ( Sf: solution) 330 "
IS Pantopon (Tablets) ...... 1 , 2 2 0 tablets
13 Domo'oon ;f ...... 180
14 Morphine 7,300 "
15 Cocaine 520 "
16 Domatrine 200 "
17 Heroin 30,000 "
Panto non svrup 6
19) Morphine ...... 12,756 phials
20) Cocaine ......
2 1 ) Pantopon ...... 2,352
Heroin ...... 3, 793
Dionine ...... 3, 694
24) Domopon ...... 431
25) Domatrine ...... 1,581
A further quantity of 2,980 grammes of hydrochloride of morphine has been used to make up phials for the require ments of the Monopoly, namely, 148,370 phials of 0 . 0 2 grammes each. - 6 -
The following quantities r f seized drugs have been handed ever to the Central De_oot :
1) O p i u m ...... 516,300 g rames.
2) Hydrochloride of morphine...... 700 n
3) Hydrochloride of cocaine...... 25,065 "
4) Hthy Imorph ine...... 200 "
5) Morphine...... 8,610 phials
6 ) Cocaine...... 1,150 ,T
7) Herein...... 3,500
Thus, the quantity of narcotic drugs in hand cn
December 31st, 1929, consisting of those delivered up at the tine of the coraing into force of the Monopoly, as well as those obtained by seizure and handed over to the Treasury’s
Central Depot for narcotics, is as follows:
1) Csca leaf...... 8,000 grammes
2) Opium...... 609,707 "
3) Salts of morphine...... 4,464 v
4) Salts of cocaine...... 51,557 17
5) Pantopon...... 1,927
6} Domopon......
7) Heroin ( Di acetyl morphine )...... 1,796
8) Dionine ( Ethy Imorphine )...... 2,438
9} Narceine...... 19
10) Pantopon ( 2'; solution)...... 11,770
11) Domopon ( Zp solution)......
12) Pantopon (tablets 0.01)...... 15,137 tablets
13) Domopon (tablets 0.01)...... 26,600
14) Morphine ,T n ......
15) Cocaine TT IT ...... -
16) Domatrine !I TT ...... 44,800 17) H e m in (tablets 0.01)......
18) P ant op on sy rup...... 29 bottles.
19) Morphine phials...... 102,019 phials
20) Cocaine phials...... 43,879 tT
21) Pantopon tT ...... 16,611
23) Herein T1 ...... 9,560
23) Dionine...... 5,483 TT
24) Domopon......
25) Domatrine...... >......
The Ministry of Finance obtains the narcotics required for the operations of the Monopoly by means cf purchases on favourable terns or, in the case of patent drugs, direct frovi the factories concerned.
The first order was placed in the sunner of
1926 in view of the coning into force of the Monopoly, which,
although effective fron September 1st, 1926, was not functio
in g regular ly until January 1927.
The following table shows the quantity, cost price and source of the drugs received during 192u and 1927
for the requirements of the Monopoly:
Date of Description of I« arc otic Quantity Cost price Supplying arrival Drug. f x m
October Cpiua powder, 10^- 175 kg. 13 , 125 -’r?. F.Eofnnn. 19 26 Hydro chi. of morphine 20 11 9,500 TT " La Roche ” *T cocaine 15 n 13,905 ,T n Basle " ,T narceine 7 lT 3,498 T; " ( Switzer-
______l-r-j-.C j .
October Hydroc.hl. of morphine, 125,000 1926 phials 0.C2 gr. phials 3,875 "" TT Kydrochl. of cocaine, 25,COO phials of C.02 gr. phials 1,025 TT Tt ” , A _
tier Opium p owd e r, 10$ 100 kg. 7,500 Sw. fr. F. Hofmann Hydrochl. of morphine TT I- 20 n 9,500 n La Roche n ” oocaine 10 n 9,270 n TT Bas le Boche Pantopon powder 20 * 34,000 " TT ( Switzerland) pantopon,(phials 0.02 gr.) 120 , OOOphials 27, 000 1T It
Sèer Bayer heroin powder 4 kg. 12,980 v n n TT TT TT 326 Heroin phials, 0.02 gr. 10, OOOphials 2,300 n
ïïosï Hydrochl. of morphine , TT )26 phials 0.02 gr. 125, OOOphials 3,875 n TT TT TT
Hydrochl. of oocaine, phials 0.02 gr. 25,000 TT 1,025 n TT TT TT TT
■bti Merck Dionine powder 4 kg. £190. E. Merck 926 Darmstadt Germany. Merck Dionine phials (0.02 g r ) . 10,000 phials £54/3/4.
Ly 1927 Eoobe Pantopon ta b le ts 200,000 tab F. Hofmann (0.01 gr ). lets of 0.01 14,000 La Roche gr acme s . Sw. f r . B a sle, RlVl t.v.avl Anri Boche Pantopon 2f0 10,000 bottles so Lution of 10 gr. solution. 17,5C0 Sw. f r . TT
In 1920 the fcllowing quantities and descriptions
of drugs were purchased by the Monopely.
Uti 19 2 H Oooa leaf 3,000 kg. 14,250 F. Hofmann Sw. fr. La Roche, B a sle , Switzerland.
îtoler Opium powder, 10$ 175 kg. 1928 Hydrochl. of 10 n morphine. 15 r Hydrochl. of cocaine
Hydrochd. of morphine (phiaLs 0.01 gr) 50.000 ph. 3 2 ,47£ Hydrochl. of morphine sw. fr. T1 TT (phials 0.02) 20.000 ph. Hydrochl, of cocaine (phials 0.02 gr. ) 20.000 ph.
<©to"b € r Boche Pantopon bB8 phials, 0.02 gr. 100,000 ph. 22,400 Sw. fr. TT TT -9 — "N In 192S the following quantities and descriptions
of drugs were purchased by the Monopoly :
1929 Merck Dionine powder kg» ££49/s/“ B. Merck, Darmstadt W 7 Ge ma n v » Bayer heroin powder 5 kgfc ) 20,46 2 I„G* Farben- lob !9£9 ” in double 2,000 double ) Sw* fr. industrie, phials ( 0.005 gr„ ) phials (0*005)) Le7 crkuaen,Germany
|i l 1929 Roche pantopon powder 5 kg. 8,500 F. Hofmann, Arrived Out, 1928 and Sw. fr» La Roche, Basle, received April 1929 , Switzerland. after arbitration.
|ot:r 1929 Hydrochl. of morphine 10 iT ) Roche Pantopon 5 11 ) £5,280 TT TT Roche Pantopon phials 50,000 ) Sw, fr, (0.02 gr. ) phials) ___
taler 1929 Hydrochl. of morphine Bohringer in phials (0 , 0 2 gr. ) 80,OOP phials £ 2 0 0 Hamburg.
Sales of narcotics by the Monopoly during 1926
and lu87 were as follows:
Iscription of Drug. 1926 1927 Remarks Gr am■-16 3
1\£ powder, 10$ ...... 1 0 , 0 0 0 139 ,750 drochl. of morphine...... 8,460 tincbL of cocaine...... 535 10,650 che pantopon...... 2 0 0 2,915 rccine ...... 10 10 rck dionine...... 2 0 2,3 46 yer heroin...... — 1,425
Ph i aIs Ifochl, of morphine 3 ,570 114,570 i I T T nTi oocaiix . 8 10 6 ,2 1 0 P|e Pantopon...... 2,340 58,965 ilk Dionine ...... 20 840 pfr Heroin...... 30 3,250 Bott le s
atopon tablets ( 0 . 0 1 )...... 89 2 Each bott. 20 tab. op on solution (2 $)...... 496 ” TT 10 c. cm.
The Monopoly received the following sums from the sale
of narcotic drugs :
1925 - 80,616 drachmae.
1927 - 1,774,949 - 10 -
The Id no poly sold the fnllov:ing quantities of narcotics
during 1023 and 1923 : (73 1 j i
19 28 ______19 w! Remarks, G r a m m e S •
113 o 100. 06 S
(, c ü 3. 1 e a X •*•••«•«••••••■ 4 , 000 20, 000
Hydro chic ride cf ncrphine 9 , 515 1—i o o 3 o 1—1 o o Py2r:> chloride of coca ire , 170 11, 070
I Roche pantc pe n ...... 1 , 605 1, 585 Rare sine ...... 20 10 "J IL’ercl: dionine ...... 1 , 574 — ?552 I Bayer h e r o i n ...... 1 , 165 £ 1904 i a 1 s
128,350 127,580
"q/Brochlcride of cocaine 4, 750 5, 720
Roche pantopon ...... 70,100 75,460 lierck dionine ...... 79 0 380
--eroin, ordinary dot ties '• • i-U +■V V--L Ç)KJ 0 OVV i—Iv . VA • • • • • • ! 1, 690 10
--eroin, double bottles with 0.005 gr..... 43
3 -V t t l e s
Tantcprn, tablets (0.01) 1,944 1,970 Each bottle 20 tablets. rH -bartc j ~>k solution ( 2% ) | 99 9 Each bottle 10 c.cm.
The Monopoly ■sceived the follovrirg sum:
of narcotic drugs: Tn 1 >23 , 1,811, 614 drachmae ■29 , 1,927,542 Tt - 11 -
OPIUI,:. - The rpiun poppy is very little grown in Greece, the only areas under this crop being in Serres (Eastern Ilacedonia).
According tc infornation obtained by the authorities responsible for supervising the production of opiun, 2,701 stremmata ^70 hectares
-ere under cultivation in IS28, yielding 3,428 kg. of opium,
here as in 1929 only 245 stromata (24.5 hectares) were under
cultivation, the opium production being 230 kg.
Home-grown opium must be exported abrcad by the ov.ner
-..ithin six months from the time of its production and in conformity with the prescribed legal formalities. As it is not always easy to export the opium within this period, it is warehoused in the Eree
gone of Salonica, whence it is exported in accordance with the
formalities laid down in the Geneva Convention.
It may be mentioned in passing that home-grown opium
exported to foreign countries is subject to an export tax and to
certain special imposts which, taken together, are by no means negligible.
The export tax represents 5> of the value of the opium as determined each year ty the I ."inis try of Finance. In 1929 its value vas fixed at £5 per oka, i.e., 78/- par kg. Besides the export
x, opium is subject to an addition 1 impest of 3; of the afore said tax, the proceeds being earmarked for road construction, and -Iso tc a land tax of 4 drachmae per c-ka of opium (3.15 drachmae per kg. ) plus 40>v of this latter impest representing an appropriat ion for the Forced Loan. Thus the total amount levied on 1 kg. of exported opium in 1929 was 79 drachmae, i.e., 4/5d.
Home-groan opium may not be exported unless a permit is ootained from the General Administration of Salonica, this being given on the strength of the corresponding permits from the import ing country (country of destination). As an additional guarantee,
^ne exporter must deposit a security which is returned on production
01 a certifioate showing the delivery of the opium in the country of --atination. - IE -
In the Free Zcne of Salonica is else warehoused raw opium of Serbian or Turkish origin exported on production of permits issued on the strength of the corresponding import permits from the country of destination.
The port of Salonica has always been the shipping centre for the export of opium from its hinterland (E: stern and Western
Macedonia and Thrace ).
However, in consequence of the procedure now established and owing to the feet that the bulk of the opium comes from neighbouring countries, there has in recent years been a decrease
in the amount of opium passing through Salonica; it has fallen
off to such an extent that the chief exporters are making use of
other trading centres and of certain Adriatic ports.
Nevertheless, the Greek Government, in spite of the almost complete decay of this trade, which was formerly a flourish
ing one, has male, and will continue to make, every effort to
apply strictly the provisions of the Geneva Convention.
The irregularities noted in the past and likewise the discrepancies in the opium statistics, which were at first due tc went of experience on the prrt of the staff concerned and to the occasionally mistaken interpretation of certain provisions in the Convention, have now been eliminated. In February last, Public Health two high officials representing the Ministry of Finance & the Ministry of/ wore sent to Salonica to study the various problems and to establish a system of control and administration in this matter, such as would ensure the satisfactory supervision of the trade in opium, Indian hemp, etc.
It is very probable that a cerxw.in amount of opium originating in end coming from Serbia ana tr■ nsported into the
Serbian Free Zone is entered in the statistics of the Yugoslav
Government as exported to Salonica or to Greece. As a matter of fact, this opium is conveyed to the Serbian Free Zone, whence it xcdioe e dihydrocedeinone. e)oxycodcinone; ) ntutos o127 and No.1.227 Instructions 1) Monopo Drugs ) ntutos oY87 d- No.Y,897, Instructions 1£29; July13th, ted 2) of the Decree Law of October 14th, 1925, "concerning theNarcotic "concerning 1925,14th, October of Law ofthe Decree provisions the to subjected were intoxicating asdrugs, described Notions, of Leaaue the of Committee Opium the Advisory decisions of issued instructions in 1923 under which the following narcotic thefollowing which under 1923 in issued instructions f Fnnead h iitr f ulcHat, cig onthe acting Health, Public of theMinister ofand Finance esn ht h aeosn r rnsimn o sc dus is pro drugs such of transshipment or that thereasonwarehousing ria a terpr o destination. of port theirarrival at they countries, to ether for transshipment hr sc rdcsmrl as ntasttruhteFe Zone the Free through transit in pass wheremerely products such hraetcl rdcs r lcdo h akt aid the in if, the market,on areplaced pharmaceutical products pass thatthey possillc is, however, It hibitedports. inGreek chemicalproducts'1. "pharrrcf description general or the"in ceutical under transit” actc rg, hyae ezd nacrac wt h 1 Howeve: the 1: with accordance in seized arenarcotic they drugs, t hc e o ns i gnme n t. an t ide, ae n tp sne hyhv o nweg of knowledge no have they since steps anycannot, take indeed, H- "by intervention is without who exported authorities, Greekthe aoia a aleet nt under not events all at n Salonica, re f npcin i i discovert is it inspection,arse of ) uoa; ) ioie c bnolcpio a) d benzoylmcrphino; c) dieodide; b)i eucodal; hydro- a) actc rg d o ps truhte re re Zone GreekFree the through pass not do drugs Narcotic Determination of new narcotic products. The Minister Minister The products. of narcotic new Determination tit iiac i eecsdwe hs ceia or chemical these when is exerciscd vigilance Strict 1 ": y n ter derivatives. theirand ) benzoyl-ecgonino; b) m )a -13 3 e thyl- c g o nine ; 223, . H ae eray2n, 1929:22nd, February dated their w ae, o the for names, own -.ill hs pout are products these e npce on inspected be
I I 1 ' 'N
- 14 -
3) Instructions No.Y. 1837, dr,tod Decsribcr 30th, 1229: I a) dilaudido ; b ) benzoylmorphine ; c ) nor phi ne esters; and the ir
salts.
T T\TT ’ T / 7\T TTT>,l’,rTD A -f1 7 -r" ^ -p o - ^»f> -j-1- a P ill •{—î " \rr î '-i r~i •"'t'f* _k.l n.» -L l-Lli-j-L « JL v^> 44 j v/ J. O U ü v o J.l L'x / .■ b l . il ~ _L Indian
herp (Cannabis sativa} -.vas pc mi t tod ir. Greoco and bocame f airly
..4 de spread, parti oui; rly in Arcadia, the product ( hashish) be in g
exported mainly to Turkey and the East.
The Lav 2107 of 1920 prohibited the cultivation a f Indian horap throughout the country, and this L a is still in force
Small quantities of Indian hemp remaining in the h- nds
of a few dealers may still be exported in accordance v.ith t he pro- ce dure laid dovn for home-grown opium.
An export duty of 39 drachmae per kilogramme is 1 evied on Indian hemp.
[ Signed ) ^ . PALJAYOTGPOULOS.
P II J