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The Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence's Illicit Drug Report 2000-2001 shows that 70 per cent of the total weight of MDMA (ecstasy) detected entering Australia in 2000-2001 was by sea cargo. This was followed by MDMA carried by air passengers (19 per cent), within air cargo (less than six per cent), and ecstasy imported through the postal stream (5 per cent). Ecstasy found on sea passengers accounted for a very small proportion of the total weight detected (less than one per cent).

A report released by the Australian Institute of Criminology has identified alleged motives for homicide in 2000-2001. Findings from the Homicide in Australia: 2000-2001 National Homicide Monitoring Program (NHMP) Annual Report show that the majority of female homicide victims were killed as a result of domestic-related altercations (for example disputes over custody of children, termination of relationship).

A report released by the Australian Institute of Criminology, "Patterns of Victimisation Among Small Retail Businesses", shows that half of all retail businesses, responding to a small business crime survey, reported experiencing some form of crime in the 12 months to July 1999. Liquor stores were the most likely targets, with 72 per cent reporting they had experienced a crime. This was followed by pharmacies (61 per cent) and newsagencies and general stores (57 per cent for each). Fifty per cent of service stations and 38 per cent of cafes and restaurants also experienced a crime.

Figures released by the Australian Institute of Criminology show the risk of being a victim of consumer fraud is much lower for older Australians than it is for the population as a whole. Those aged 65 years and over are less than half as likely to be victims of consumer fraud compared to people aged 16 to 64. Data from the Australian Crime Victims Survey found that nine per cent of persons aged 16 to 64 were the victims of consumer fraud compared to four per cent of people aged over 65.

Amphetamine use is increasing, according to a report released by the Australian Institute of Criminology that is based on data from interviews of police detainees in four sites within Australia (Bankstown NSW, East Perth WA, Parramatta NSW and Southport Qld). The detainees participated in surveys on their drug use and criminal history as well as being asked to provide a urine sample as part of the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) project.

People detained by police are more likely to test positive to drugs if they have previously been arrested or in prison, according to a report released by the Australian Institute of Criminology. Figures show that of the detainees who tested positive to any drug (including cannabis, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, opiates, methadone and MDMA), 63 per cent had been arrested in the past 12 months, compared with 40 per cent of detainees who did not test positive to drugs.

A report released by the Australian Institute of Criminology, "Robbery Against Service Stations and Pharmacies: Recent Trends" has identified service stations as being at increasing risk of robbery compared with other commercial targets. Based on ABS data, it was found that robberies against service stations increased by 214 per cent between 1993 and 2000, compared with 65 per cent for pharmacies and 37 per cent for banks.

The Australian Institute of Criminology has released a report detailing information about the illegal abalone market in Australia. The report identifies the different ways in which abalone may be illegally caught, namely: by organised poachers, licensed divers, shore-based divers, extended family groups or individuals. Such abalone is then prepared for consumption, often in illegal processing factories or "backyard" set-ups. While some abalone is kept for personal use, most is destined for sale.

The Australian Institute of Criminology has released data regarding the financial and psychological costs of crime for small retail businesses. The report states that those sectors with the greatest estimated losses were service stations (where the average loss to victims approximated $6,900 per year) and liquor stores (within which the average loss across all businesses in the sector was $4,000 per year).

A report released by the Australian Institute of Criminology, "Firearms Theft in Australia", shows that 25,171 firearms were reported to police as stolen in Australia between 1994 and 2000. This equates to an average of 4,195 firearms stolen per year, or 12 firearms stolen per day. Rifles are the most common type of firearm stolen in Australia, accounting for 52 per cent of all thefts, followed by shotguns (21%) and handguns (14%). "Other firearms" account for 10 per cent of thefts (this category includes cases where the type of firearm was not included in the police report).

A report released by the Australian Institute of Criminology has evaluated a burglary reduction operation undertaken by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in Canberra in 2001. The report concludes that the AFP were successful in reducing levels of burglary in the ACT by a significant amount. Operation Anchorage employed strategies including the use of surveillance teams, targeting known prolific offenders, traffic enforcement in high-burglary areas, and extensive use of intelligence analysis to focus police efforts.

The Australian Institute of Criminology recently released Deaths in Custody in Australia: 2001 National Deaths in Custody Program (NDICP) Annual Report. This report shows that there was a total of 87 deaths in custody in Australia during 2001: 56 prison custody deaths and 31 deaths in police custody. The majority of police custody deaths occurred during custody-related police operations (such as police pursuits and sieges). The 24 recorded deaths of this nature represent the highest number of these deaths ever recorded by the NDICP.

The Australian Institute of Criminology has released a report titled "Approaching Organised Crime: Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going?" which discusses the concepts of organised crime and transnational crime. It outlines aspects of organised crime such as environmental influences (geo-political circumstances, socio-historical situations, economic opportunities, legislative constraints and/or antecedent organised criminal activity), groups and processes, as well as the impact that organised crime has (namely social, political, economic and environmental).

The first release in the Australian Institute of Criminology's Technical and Background Paper series reports on the rates of detention of juveniles in Australia. The statistics in this publication are derived from quarterly reports on juvenile detention submitted to the Australian Institute of Criminology by juvenile justice authorities in each Australian jurisdiction. The report shows that both the number of Indigenous juveniles in custody and the rate of incarceration of Indigenous young people are considerably higher than the number and rate for non-Indigenous people.

A report released by the Australian Institute of Criminology on anti-homosexual homicide is based on evidence from a study of 74 homicides with male victims that occurred in New South Wales between 1980 and 2000. The data show that the victims were generally older than the offenders. Most victims were middle-aged or older males, with a peak in the thirties or forties, while the bulk of assailants were young males aged under 25. These young assailants also tended to attack more often in packs.