This paper discusses what has been done to curtail the diversion of chemicals for illicit drug production within U.S. borders and highlights U.S. involvement in international efforts to strengthen controls on the illicit diversion of precursor and essential chemicals.
The primary U.S. statute to control the diversion of precursor and essential chemicals is the Chemical Diversion and Trafficking Act. This act establishes recordkeeping requirements and enforcement activities for precursor and essential chemicals. The effectiveness of this act has been limited, however, because other chemical-producing countries have taken up the slack in supplying South American countries with essential chemicals. Although the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances was a first step toward the control of these chemicals in international trade, countries must do more to control diversion. In response to this need the G-7, at its economic summit meeting in Houston in July 1990, called for the establishment of a multinational Chemical Action Task Force (CATF). The CATF was directed to make recommendations to prevent the diversion of chemicals from legitimate commerce to the manufacture of illicit drugs. The Department of Justice sought to ensure that its delegates to the CATF remained informed about the views and concerns of State and local officials on this issue so they could accurately portray the status of U.S. law enforcement efforts. For this purpose, the National Institute of Justice invited approximately 30 experts in the area of chemical diversion from all over the Nation to for a Domestic Chemical Action Group. The CATF adopted a final report in June 1991 that made general recommendations about the control and regulation of these substances. It recommended control programs with five key components: vigilance, administrative surveillance, registration and authorization, export authorization, and import authorization. 2 exhibits and 11 notes