COLUMBIA

ONE OF THE lesser known casualties of the current strife in the Persian Gulf is the price of cocaine.

Due to a shortage of kerosene, a key element in the processing of the drug, the cost of production for the cocaine cartels in South America and elsewhere has spiked, leading to a consequent increase in street pricing.

If the difficulties surrounding oil in the Strait of Hormuz continue, the drug lords may well suffer a significant hit to their bottom line, even though addicts are often willing to pay whatever is demanded to satisfy their desires.

What usually happens is that contingent crime rates increase with the price of cocaine.

Watch this space.