Police crack $2bn ecstacy drug ring SMH 24/8/01

QUOTE:
"Police have cracked a major Australian drug network, seizing 550 kilograms of ephedrine that has a potential street value of almost $2 billion when converted to pseudo-ecstasy pills.
More than 100 police were involved in overnight raids on 18 locations which, coupled with the drug seizures, made the operation the biggest in the state's history. "
ummm so lemme get this straight.... discovering 550 kg of 'ephedrine' constitutes cracking an ecstasy ring??
But can i ask that all the AFP reading this... give yourselves a pat on the back... you've actually intercepted some 'shite' for once
For the full story go to:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/0108/24/national/national101.html
[This message has been edited by XSI11V (edited 24 August 2001).]

this is laughable!
the only thing i'm pissed off about is that perhaps some good go was about to hit the streets.
again, give urselves a pat on the back *pff*

hahahaha pseudo-ecstasy pills yeh man all that ephedrine they captured will cause a drought on the streets, we better all start stocking up with seudofed, cos we all know thats whats really in ecstacy. MDMA what the hells that?
even worse their actually calling it an ecstacy haul!
[This message has been edited by Eckythump (edited 24 August 2001).]

i'd be inclined to think that a bust of 18 premises and a haul of ephedrine was actually quite a big bust.
but anyway on the band wagon

Operation Kayak had identified three statewide drug syndicates responsible for peddling amphetamines, cocaine, ecstasy, pseudo-ecstasy, hashish, LSD and pseudoephedrine.

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urm....... peddling pseudoephedrine, yeah you wanna bring down these guys, that stuff is evil... really fuck up your snots.

In today's raids, a shipping container containing 550 kilograms of ephedrine secreted into a consignment of ceramic tiles has been seized by police at the Melbourne waterfront.

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urm... "secreted"... oooh yucky, who would do that?
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http://pla.iwarp.com/
[This message has been edited by eddi spgeddi (edited 24 August 2001).]

Night raids crack drug ring

By ORIETTA GUERRERA
THE AGE ONLINE
Friday 24 August 2001
Victoria Police Drug Squad claim to have cracked a major drug network overnight, after a 10-month investigation.
Police raided 18 properties across metropolitan Melbourne early this morning, seizing drugs potentially worth billions of dollars and arresting eight people, who are currently being interviewed by police.
This morning's raids were conducted with the Tactical Response and Organised Crime Squads as part of the Operation Kayak.
"This phase resulted in the seizure of an abandoned container at the Melbourne waterfront containing 550 kilograms of ephedrine secreted in a consignment of ceramic tiles," Crime Department Commander Rod Lambert said.
"The ephedrine had a wholesale value of $10 million dollars, but when converted to pseudoecstasy tablets, would have a retail street value of close to two billion dollars."
The seized drugs have been handed over to the Australian Federal Police, who were also involved in the operation together with the Australian Customs Service.
Operation Kayak, one of the biggest drug operations ever undertaken by the Force, has already seen twentythree people charged since October, including charges of drug trafficking, possession and manufacturing.
The operation identified three major drug syndicates allegedly responsible for the ongoing trafficking of commercial quantities of amphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy, pseudoecstasy, hashish, LSD and pseudoephedrine.
Police will also make an application to the courts today for seizure of assets, including cars and property, worth more than $15 million.
From: http://www.theage.com.au/news/state/2001/08/24/FFXDP7YUQQC.html

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That's the version on The Age Online.
BigTrancer
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Load universe into cannon. Aim at brain. Shoot.

I've had to re-calibrate my suspension-of-belief-o-meter with a logarithmic scale to handle this absurdity.
At least we know where some of that hash went...

BILL
--
"I wouldn't know, I've never done any of that shit." -- Ashley Finch.

ROTFL!
and horse is right... at least the AFP have done a good job... got some of that crap off the streets... hehehe...
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The above slave is owned by Dagny and mentored by applesbliss...

10 months and 'one of the largest drug operations' conducted by the victorian force for a total of 23 caught. Damn I'm really scared now.
Another positive point is that the victorian force has stated that they are going to be making a concerted effort to attack violence on women, burglaries and car theft. I'm thinking they are concentrating less on drugs for a while.

How many dodgey dealers that happen to read this artical are going to be selling "pseudo-ecstasy" to all the kids now at $60 a pop... reminds me of that MDNA thing a little while ago...

bill, your fuckin classic..
a mate rang me up and told me about this, and i thought shite, maybe all these good bikkie are gunna start drying up... then i read the article. i say this is fuckin fantastic, they've seized all the fuckin bunk pills, and a whole lot of shit they use to make em...thanks coppers
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...got a place for watching that will paint pictures and colour lights...
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I only saw a news outline of this and when i heard it i nearly fell off my chair.
The announcer said..
"Police in Sydney bust chemicals which could have produced 2 billion dollars worth of ECSTASY."
I was like "omfg; someones decided to produce MDMA here, why? how? that would be like 5 tonnes of safrole/isosaf...thats insane and unbelievable"...
I was in total disbelief.
Then i get onto here and find its EPHEDRINE!! omfg again, just in a different tone; i cannot believe the announcer actually said "to PRODUCE ECSTASY."
However i think u will find guys that the ephedrine was intended to be used to produce METHAMPHETAMINE; not to sell as is.
Think about it; an ephedrine pill is not much more effective than a strong caffeine one; why would anyone take the risk in obtaining enormous quantities of ephedrine, which is ILLEGAL and press it into pills, when it does very little.
Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are fast becoming as controlled as the illegal drugs they are to be made into.
Anyone wanting to make a shitload of meth is going to need a shitload of illegally procured ephedrine. (assuming that is the synthesis route they intend to take)
(these precursors, along with many others, represent another black market, and are a lucritive investment for criminals also)
Forgive me for being cynical but i see this as the police's way of attacking MDMA, considering its the demon drug, esp amongst younger people atm.
Suggesting they busted all these chemicals to make "ecstasy" seems to sound like a greater accomplishment to joe public than the usual chemicals to make "amphetamines".

and here is some more info from this mornings Age: http://www.theage.com.au/news/state/2001/08/24/FFX4GXHFPQC.html

OMFG for the third time; i just read another article on this...
..."The ephedrine haul is expected to contain about six months supply of ecstasy to Victorian consumers, and Commander Lambert said it could cause a "drought" on the streets.
He warned users to be wary of what may become available on the streets to replace today's ecstasy haul.
Australian Drug Foundation chief executive Bill Stronach said while the haul had removed a large quantity of drugs from the street, it was no time for complacency.
"There is still a demand for these substances and while there's a demand somebody will fill that demand," he said..."
OK, now this is too much. Someone should say something; either the police are lying, hence their credibility is even less than it is, or they have absolutely NO FUCKING idea.
6 months supply of Ecstasy.
I have never laughed so hard and shook my head so much; is it April the 1st today; its gotta be.

ROFL love the photo .
I also had about 3 people sms'ing me today about this panicking that there weren't going to be any good pills in Melb for awhile. After reassuring them for awhile I decided to read the article for myself. What a fucking laugh ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!
However I think some of this stuff will end up on the streets though so everyone should test their pills !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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When all else fails!!!
Think of the children...the poor children.

Lets gets this straight.
They busted a shitload of Ephedrine powder yes? or a shitload of ephedrine pills?
If its powder i stand by what i said; they never would have become pills.
If its pills then the criminals r as stupid as the police.

From what i seen on the * cough *news * cough * both powder and pills -large pill(looked double stacked), off white, with star stamp-

i cant wait till they report something like dexies being used in the making of cocaine.. and that smashing the 10yo mr big of the dexie trade has created a shortage of coke in oz

I have seen further reports saying it was 500 or so kg of PSEUDOephedrine which was busted.
Enough to make 40 MILLION PILLS they said.
Ok; thats 15mg max of pseudoephedrine per pill. ONE QUARTER of the dose found in sudafed. hehe
If this stuff was to become METH, then thats still only 40m 10-15mg METH pills.
AVERGAGE on anyones accounts.
So r u telling me these MR Bigs had the ability to move 40 million almost BUNK pills - thats 2 for every person in this country.
This has become so wet its drowned.
Despite that; if several Mr Bigs have gone down in Melbourne as the news has said, there would be some spin off effects right?
Anyone know if these people were responsible for the importation of REAL ecstasy, along with the manufacture of meth??
[This message has been edited by Biscuit (edited 25 August 2001).]

Lots of confidence floating round this thread! If not concerned about the bust of ephedrine, what about the fact that they repossessed a ferrari, penthouse apartments, development properties etc... The DD's i know use their profits to buy records, etc, not bloody ferrari's and apartments. Sounds like some pretty big players in the game will no longer be there.
Just my opinion. CA

This made the papers in NZ, too.
Can someone clear something up for me - there's no such thing as "psuedo-ecstasy" right? It's not some cool, hip drug that I've never heard of?