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NEWS: AdeliadeNow - 16/03/08 'Deadly trend in home drug labs'

lil angel15

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Deadly trend in home drug labs
NIGEL HUNT
March 16, 2008 12:15am

THE scarcity of a key ingredient used in the manufacture of amphetamines has sparked a deadly new trend among backyard drug "cooks".

Police say the clandestine drug manufacturers are now attempting to make their own pseudoephedrine, often with dramatic results.
In one instance a crude laboratory at Seaford Rise blew up, severely damaging a house and an adjoining property.

Drug Investigation Branch Detective Superintendent Linda Fellows said the trend had been seen over the past six months and was directly linked to the success of new measures put in place by chemist shops restricting the availability of cold medications containing pseudoephedrine.

"People are now beginning to experiment with other processes," Det-Supt Fellows said. "We are seeing evidence of people attempting to manufacture their own pseudoephedrine, which is difficult to do and requires chemicals that are not readily available.

"But it is possible and people are now trying to get around that. Such methods are available on the internet and from other sources.

"That is what we are now faced with and accompanying that is the increased risk and danger to the community."

Det-Supt Fellows said that besides the Seaford Rise explosion evidence of the new production methods being adopted had been found at several laboratories recently.

So far this financial year police have discovered 50 backyard amphetamine laboratories – compared with 52 last financial year – and have charged 40 people with manufacturing amphetamines for sale in connection with the laboratories.

In about 20 of the cases no one has been charged with a manufacturing offence because of a lack of evidence.

"There is a certain point the process must be advanced to or certain chemicals present before we can take action," Det-Supt Fellows said.

New legislation allowing police to charge people simply for unlawful possession of certain items of laboratory equipment will be introduced in Parliament shortly.

Det-Supt Fellows said SA had seen an increase in amphetamine production in line with other states.

Those behind the production include outlaw motorcycle gangs, organised crime groups and individuals.

Last financial year 65 people were charged with selling amphetamines and in the 2005-06 financial year 83 people were charged with the same offence.

"The majority of the laboratories we find are used to produce methamphetamine to sell to others," she said.

"Not too many people operate laboratories just for their own use. They produce significant commercial quantities."

There was evidence of "ice" being brought into SA when local supplies were low.

Recent trends have seen the emergence of portable "box" laboratories that can be moved quickly to avoid detection and wide variations in quality because of the new manufacturing methods being employed.

AdelaideNow
 
How can this article be from the 16.03.08? It's only 15.03.08!?!?!?!?

Damn, I wouldn't have smoked any chronic if I knew there was gonna be time travellin' goin' down! =D

To say something on topic...I just googled the synth of ephedrine and as the article says, you ain't gonna be able to do that in your backyard. As with meth, don't do this at home.
 
I also find it unlikely that they were trying to synth pseudo. Maybe they were using ephedra. At any rate, I think the quality of meth has been very hit and miss in adelaide lately - little consistency.
 
Articles are often posted online the night before they're syndicated in the papers, so no, no drug-induced time travelling going on. :)

I don't think this development is unexpected by many of the people who follow the news here about the pseudoephedrine crackdown recently.
 
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