Paisley attends high level anti-drugs meeting with Colombian general

In an attempt to reduce the amount of drugs that are available in the UK, North Antrim MP Ian Paisley has held a meeting in Westminster with Brigadier General Perez, the head of the Anti-Narcotics unit of Colombia. Also in attendance was the head of the Serious Organised Crime Agency.
By The Newsroom
Published 7th Jun 2012, 15:18 BST

The meeting was conducted in order to share knowledge and ideas surrounding restricting the supply of drugs.

Paisley has been very heavily involved in the anti-drugs campaign in recent months. He has already travelled to Guinea-Bissau twice this year, the small West African country which has become a key hub for South American drug traffickers looking to move illegal substances to the UK.

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Paisley’s role there is to mediate the peace process and to build stability in the hope that the drugs trade will then diminish. The meeting with Brigadier General Perez is the latest development in his fight against drugs on the streets of the UK

Speaking after the meeting Paisley said:“One of the ways to tackle our country’s drug problems is to eradicate them at the source. The majority of our illegal substances are not formed here but smuggled in after taking long and illegal routes through parts of South America and Africa.

“These issues need dealt with head on, and by holding these discussions internationally and cutting the supply chain we will begin to see a reduction of substances on our streets.

“The meeting was extremely productive and I hope to build and progress forward, to ensure that we see a positive effect on our own streets were less drugs are available and less people are lured in and fall victim to them.I intend to have further meetings with him later in the year to develop these discussions further.”