CONSIDERABLE CHANGE HAS OCCURRED IN THE ILLEGAL DRUG SYSTEM DURING THE YEARS SINCE WORLD WAR II. ALTHOUGH HEROIN IS STILL A COMMONLY SMUGGLED DRUG, IT NO LONGER COMES FROM THE MIDDLE EAST BUT FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA. ITS SALE IS NO LONGER CONTROLLED BY FRENCH AND CORSICANS OR BY THE SONS OF THE MAFIA. CHINESE AND LATINS NOW HANDLE DELIVERY, AND LIBERATED BLACKS OPERATE THE DISTRIBUTION. HEROIN, HOWEVER, IS A MINOR PRODUCT FOR THE SMUGGLERS, IN CONTRAST WITH MARIJUANA AND COCAINE WHICH ARE BROUGHT INTO THE UNITED STATES IN LARGE CARGO SHIPS AND FAST SPEEDBOATS. FOR EVERY POUND OF COCAINE SEIZED, AT LEAST 10, AND PERHAPS 20 GET THROUGH DESPITE THE EFFORTS OF THE POLICE AND THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THE HISTORY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS TO CONTROL DRUG TRAFFICKING INCLUDES THE SEIZURE OF $1.5 BILLION WORTH OF COCAINE FROM AN AIRPLANE IN THE BAHAMAS IN 1978 AND THE CAPTURE OF 17 TONS OF MARIJUANA FROM A DC-6 THAT LANDED IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THESE SEIZURES WERE PART OF GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS CALLED 'SNOWBIRD' AND 'STOPGAP.' ALTHOUGH THE OPERATIONS WERE SUCCESSFUL IN SEIZING A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF CONTRABAND, THEY WERE ONLY TEMPORARY EFFORTS. THE NEED EXISTS FOR PERMANENT, WELL-EQUIPPED ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS, INCLUDING ADEQUATE RADAR COVERAGE OF THE APPROACHES TO FLORIDA. A SERIES OF ANECDOTES CONCERNING THE DRUG TRADE INDICATES THE VIOLENCE AND CORRUPTION SIMILAR TO THAT DURING PROHIBITION ARE WIDESPREAD. ILLUSTRATIONS ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)