Is Australia’s ‘voracious’ illicit drug use behind organised crime violence? It’s complicated

Sydney appears to be facing an escalation of organised crime violence.

The shootings this month of 23-year-old university student Marco Tapia and, two days later, 40-year-old Joshua Macdonald in the city’s west, highlighted the often hidden world of organised crime and its violence.

It led to Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Krissy Barrett stating a renewed conversation was needed about the links between illicit drug use and organised crime in Australia.

Read more: AFP commissioner urges ‘conversation’ about link between Australians’ level of illicit drug use and organised crime But is Australians’ hunger for illicit drugs the main reason for the growing concerns about organised crime? The stats are murky.

The violence that sparked Barrett’s comments The recent murders of Tapia and Macdonald follow the alleged kidnapping and murder earlier this year of 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian.

In each case, police strongly believe the victims had no links to organised crime and were tragic cases of mistaken identity.

These events bring the total murders attributed to Sydney’s underworld since 2020 to 41 , with an estimated eight people murdered in cases of mistaken identity since 2021.

NSW Police have defended claims that organised crime violence is “ out of control ”.

Premier Chris Minns though has introduced new laws in an attempt to quell organised crime.

Read more: Chris Minns’ new organised crime laws may sound tough, but evidence shows they may not be effective Much of the violence stems from an escalating feud between rival crime networks fighting over Sydney’s lucrative drug trade.

This sparked Barrett’s comments about the relationship between organised crime and illicit drugs.

Barrett frames the violence as fundamentally being driven by Australia’s “voracious consumption of illicit drugs” and the “absurd” prices users are willing to pay.

According to Barrett, reducing demand for illicit drugs will reduce the power and violence of organised crime groups in Sydney (although she also stated it is “not a NSW problem – it is an Australian problem”).

But is illicit drug use increasing? What do illicit drug use trends across Australia actually show? Measuring Australians’ drug use isn’t simple It is important to state that measuring illicit drug use is inherently problematic.