BigTrancer
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2000
- Messages
- 7,339
Internet 'cookbook' fuels drug wars
By Steve Barrett and Natalie O'Brien
30jul03
AS a special murder task force investigates the bloody amphetamines drug war erupting in Victoria, police around the country have uncovered dozens of clandestine laboratories and copies of an illegal "cookbook" on how to make the illicit drugs.
It is believed the recent murders in Melbourne are linked to drug wars that are being fuelled by the availability of internet recipes and a manual called Secrets of Methamphetamine Manufacture, written by an underground chemist known as "Uncle Fester".
The 183-page book, available on the internet, tells how to set up backyard kitchens right through to large-scale productions rivalling the traditional crime syndicate operations.
A special police task force has been set up to look at the murders of Melbourne's underworld figures - 16 in five years - and the underground amphetamines trade.
One of the leads being pursued by Victorian homicide investigators is the battle for control of the cut-throat amphetamines market.
Authorities are also concerned about would-be chemists swapping recipes for illicit drugs in internet chat rooms.
A spokesman for federal Justice Minister Chris Ellison said the Government knew of the Uncle Fester manual and warned possession of it was an offence in some states. The Government, he said, was reviewing internet use for "promoting criminal offences".
Detective Inspector Paul Willingham, a chemical operations manager in the NSW drug squad, warned that apart from the bloodshed in Melbourne, there were many other dangerous spin-offs to underground manufacturing.
"The dangers of the hazardous waste and the potential injuries ... are immense. Just last week ... chemists using pseudoephedrine tablets along with flammable solvents blew the roof right off a flat."
Uncle Fester's book, which has been found in most Australian states, is one of at least four illegal publications police have stumbled across. While it tells readers the book is not for criminal use, it gives tips on how not to get busted and to keep ahead of the "narco swine". It also has detailed instructions on how to make drugs including amphetamines, methamphetamines, Ice and Ecstasy.
Amphetamine labs are a growing problem around the country, with West Australian police reporting a 35 per cent increase this year on the number of labs found. Victorian police were unable to answer questions about the amphetamine market in that state. But the Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission tabled a report last week revealing amphetamines were still the biggest drug threat, with 162 labs found last year.
In NSW in the past 18 months, 72 clandestine labs have been unearthed. Gang task force officers smashed a criminal network linked to the Nomads outlaw motorcycle gang resulting in 51 arrests, 304 charges and the discovery of seven drug labs. One man was charged with manufacturing amphetamines worth about $49 million.
From: http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,6834527%5E421,00.html
Nota bene. (obviously) My emphasis added.
BigTrancer