NEWS: Brisbane Times - 26/07/07 'Chemical ban to boost Vic's war on drugs'

Chemical ban to boost Vic's war on drugs
July 26, 2007 - 11:52AM

Victorian police will be soon able to charge people for owning common chemicals under new laws intended to shut down secret drug laboratories before they begin making drugs.

Starting next Wednesday, the new legislation will save a vast amount of investigative resources, police say.

Inspector Jim O'Brien said the laws would allow early intervention in the drug trade.

"The cost of resourcing police investigations is enormous in relation to the amphetamine industry because we generally, to prove our case, generally have had to wait until we've had finished product on the table," he said.

"What that means is hours and hours of surveillance, hours and hours of resources of people and technology."

There are 103 chemicals listed as precursors and people charged with owning them will face five years in jail, a $66,000 fine or both.

Drugs included in the list are ammonia, calcium, hydrogen chloride, lithium, iodine, sodium and sassafras oil.

Mr O'Brien said only people using the chemicals as precursors for making drugs, such as ecstasy and ice, had reason to fear the new law.

"It's fairly easy to establish a lawful excuse, one would expect, for someone that would have this type of thing sitting at home," Mr O'Brien said.

"It's not a matter of Victoria police going along, looking in people's medicine cabinets, laundries, and trying to seek out one chemical here, one chemical there.

"We're talking about these chemicals being found in such circumstances ... (as) to give rise to a reasonable suspicion that they're being used and sourced for illegal purposes."

Victorian Police Minister Bob Cameron said Victoria was the first to introduce the laws and he hoped other states would soon follow.

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Drug chemicals crackdown
Matt Cunningham
July 26, 2007 12:20pm

Crackdown: A new ban on "precursor" chemicals is hoped will undermine the illicit drugs industry.

POSSESSING the chemicals used to make illicit drugs will be banned under new laws to come into effect next month.

Police Minister Bob Cameron and Police Det-Insp Jim O'Brien yesterday announced the new laws, which would see offenders face a five-year jail term if caught with the precursor chemicals.

People caught with more than a prescribed amount of the 103 chemicals would need to show they had authorisation or a lawful reason for their possession.

Det-Insp O'Brien said the laws would help police bust clandestine drug laboratories before they start producing illicit drugs.

"We certainly welcome this change in direction and see this as a positive step forward to allow us early intervention in drug production,'' he said.

Chemicals on the banned list include ammonia, calcium, hydrogen chloride and phenyl acetic acid.

Mr Cameron said the laws marked the Government's latest step in tackling drug dealers.

"They bring about misery and crime across our community,'' he said.

Possession of pill presses used to make ecstasy and other tablets was banned in February.

Mr Cameron said people could still possess large amount of the banned chemicals if they could show they had a legitimate use for them.

"Anybody who has a legitimate purpose need have no fears about these laws,'' he said.

He said other states were expected to follow Victoria's lead in banning possession of the chemicals.

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