NEWS: $540 million bust!!!

[Bent Mk2]

One hell of a bust!

Police have seized chemicals which have the potential to make an estimated $540 million worth of ecstasy, in one of the biggest drug seizures in Australian history.

A joint police operation seized 1,900 litres of a chemical believed to be methylenedioxyphenyl-2propanone, otherwise known as liquid ecstasy, in Sydney's north-west about 8pm yesterday, police said.

In a statement, NSW police said the raid was believed to be one of the biggest drug seizures in Australia's history.

The NSW State Crime Command's South-East Asian Crime Squad, Victorian Police and Australian Federal Police raided an industrial complex in Castle Hill where they found the chemical which had the potential to make up to two tonnes of ecstasy (MDMA).

The fire brigade and hazardous materials teams were called in to assist, as was the drug squad's specialist clandestine laboratory section.

The raid follows the seizure of 340 litres of the chemical, with the potential to make $51 million worth of ecstasy, by Victorian Police in Geelong on December 18 last year.

Two men were charged over the December raid.

 

[Negcreep]

NEWS: Police seize $540m worth of ecstasy chemicals

By Edith Bevin and Vikki Campion

January 04, 2007 12:00am
Article from: The Daily Telegraph

AUSTRALIA'S biggest ever seizure of illegal drugs was made in Sydney's northwest last night during a raid involving three police forces.

Chemicals with the potential to make at least $540 million worth of ecstasy tablets were found during the raid of a Castle Hill industrial site.

The operation was part of an joint effort between NSW and Victorian police.

Inspector Marcus Rowles, of State Crime Command's South-East Asian Crime Squad, said it was the biggest drugs bust in the nation's history.

"This is an extremely significant seizure," he said.

Police from Victoria and NSW, along with the Australian Federal Police, raided an industrial complex in Victoria Ave, Castle Hill, about 8pm (AEDT).

They found about 1900 litres of a chemical believed to be methylenedioxyphenyl-2prop-anone, also called liquid ecstasy, hidden in large cardboard boxes.

The imported chemicals had the potential to make up to two tonnes of ecstasy tablets with a conservative estimate of about $540 million, police said.

The warehouse was being used to store the chemicals.

No laboratory was found there during the raid.

The complex was last night shut down and taped off while firefighters, HAZMAT teams and the NSW Police drug squad's specialist lab section worked to stabilise the highly explosive chemicals.

The work was expected to be completed today and more officers were being called in to help with the massive haul.

Last night's raid was linked to the seizure of 340 litres of the chemical by Victorian police in a raid in Geelong on December 18 last year.

The Victorian officers discovered the chemicals in 68 containers packed in boxes inside a van when they stopped to help the broken down vehicle.

The van had been driven to Victoria from Sydney.

The chemical had the potential to make 1.3 million ecstasy tablets worth more than $51 million on the street.

Two men – Patrick Pak Lam Li, 50, of Sydney, and Keng Chuan Loh, of Singapore – were arrested and charged.

more heads will roll.... literally

[EDIT: URL: Telegraph. hoptis]

 

[chopped_chimp]

A dark day.

 

[Cazoom]

oh

 

[phase_dancer]

Threads merged

 

[Fry-d-]

Ecstasy larger problem than ice: Keelty

4th January 2007, 8:54 WST


The hype surrounding the illicit substance ice threatens to overshadow the larger problem of ecstasy and other drugs, Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Mick Keelty says.

Ice, or methamphetamine, has recently dominated the media but, Mr Keelty said, the issue had become overblown as those who lacked a proper understanding of the drug waded into the discussion.

The federal police chief said the discovery in Sydney of enough precursor chemicals to manufacture $540 million worth of ecstasy demonstrated the extent of the threat of less topical drugs.

"I think a lot of people got caught up the in hype about ice without actually understanding what ice is," Mr Keelty told Southern Cross Broadcasting.

"People hitch their wagon to a topical issue and push it out into the public without understanding the full ramifications of what it is they are talking about and there's a lot more to worry about than just ice.

"Ice is not all of the amphetamine-type stimulants that are available and clearly ecstasy is one of the larger threats."

In a joint police operation, NSW, Victorian and federal police raided an industrial complex in Castle Hill, in Sydney's north-west,.

They seized 1,900 litres of a chemical believed to be methylenedioxyphenyl-2propanone, which could be used to make up to two tonnes of ecstasy.

The raid follows the seizure of 340 litres of the chemical, with the potential to make $51 million worth of ecstasy, by Victoria Police in Geelong on December 18 last year.

Mr Keelty said the community should remain vigilant about ice but not forget about other drugs.

"I am not saying we don't worry about ice. What I am saying is, in my mind, ecstasy and cocaine remain a problem," he said.

He also singled out alcohol as causing as many problems for police as illicit drugs.

AAP

From The West Online

 

[insomnia]

It's a sad day for all australians....

 

[Immortal Teknique]

It wont take long for supply to bounce back. Despite this seizure, alot of labs are going un-noticed. However im pretty sure this will have an effect on supply, unlike other busts this one is massive, wouldn't surprise me if it was supplying the majority of the country.

 

[Splatt]

Chemicals ... police check the liquid found in last night's raid at Castle Hill.

 

[ilikeacid]

It wont take long for supply to bounce back.

I hope your right... at least this was after NY

 

[static_mind]

I doubt it will raise prices, but if it does il just start smokeing ice instead. It's cheap enough.

 

[Immortal Teknique]

I doubt it will raise prices, but if it does il just start smokeing ice instead. It's cheap enough.

Haha thats definitely a step in the right direction!

 

[andyturbo]

fuck, that is terrible. Although i have heard the majority of our pills are imported anyhow so hopfully this wont effect us consumers to much.
I was thinking before surely after the van got busted you would be smart enough to lay low and well stop production for a few months, and completely get rid of all traces and keep your supplys in all different locations so if a bust was made maybe only $100,000m woould be caught not $500,000. Obviously theres heaps more to it than i know so just my 2c All this because one silly van 'susposedly' broke down

Question- does this mean we can expect more adultrants in our pills? well at least the local ones right?

 

[person]

Bugger!

edit: LMAO its probably chems for just one or two batches/new pill. I doubt it would cause any changes in the MDMA market, only opens competition to new/existing suppliers. Its like the established warez groups competing for the best odayz, except who has the best pill/blend.

 

[Immortal Teknique]

andyturbo i think the majority of pills in Australia are pressed here, but the precursors such as the one that has been seized are imported. Seems to be the trend ive noticed over the last few years in terms of busts etc. They rarely find MDMA, but a precursor that is then further synthesised to produce the final product.

Im sure pills are imported here but it does seem like there is a tendency to press them here and just import the chemicals...

 

[andyturbo]

andyturbo i think the majority of pills in Australia are pressed here, but the precursors such as the one that has been seized are imported. Seems to be the trend ive noticed over the last few years in terms of busts etc. They rarely find MDMA, but a precursor that is then further synthesised to produce the final product.

Im sure pills are imported here but it does seem like there is a tendency to press them here and just import the chemicals...

ahhh okay, in that case FUCK.

 

[johnboy]

It is extremely unlikely that major amounts of pills are imported anymore, and by that I mean amounts over 10,000. This is because of all the major busts that happened. A few people will sneak back a thousand or ten from NL but that is not what the major suppliers are relying on.

Local production has become so big because our huge demand has to be met, and large scale importation of finished product is uneconomical. Now LE is targeting specific precursors, such as MDP2P. If they achieve any real success is stopping it coming in, which is doubtful, manufacturers will simply move onto other, more complicated, routes of synthesis.

Remember that one of the main reasons for the change over to importation of precursors was that until very recently there were no laws under which to prosecute them for possession of said precursors. The law has been playing catch up, as it always does, and it is competing against very, very smart criminals, who have the best possible incentive; a billion dollar marketplace.

Did anyone have any problems getting sorted for NYE?

 

[Immortal Teknique]

Yeah johnboy thats exactly what i was saying, you rarely here of people getting busted with finished product anymore, apart from that $20m bust last year from Italy i think it was??

I had absolutely no trouble getting stuff for NYE, in fact ive never had trouble getting gear, the only issue i have had is quality but in an illegal marketplace with no quality control that is bound to happen...

 

[groova]

I wonder if this was linked to the other bust a few weeks ago, and i also wonder who tipped them off about this bust? Ah well, i had my binge over new years and want to take it easy for the next couple of months, so hopefully the maket will have picked up by then

 

[Splatt]

I had the choice of about 8 different pills for NYE from different people, I just picked the cheapest, but I already had a few goodies stashed.