Case of the missing cold tablets (Pan Pharmaceuticals) - SMH - 2/5/03

Case of the missing cold tablets sends another shiver through drug company


Police are investigating the theft of a million cold tablets from Pan Pharmaceuticals - drugs that can be turned into amphetamines valued at tens of millions of dollars on the black market.

The Herald has learned the robbery also led to an inquiry by NSW Health, which demanded that Pan upgrade its security.

The revelation came as the Therapeutic Goods Administration added a further 701 products to the recall list after health companies reported they were made by Pan Pharmaceuticals.



story here

In the article it states that one packet of Sudafed 90s can be turned into speed worth about $6000 at street level.... i find that hard to believe

Good week on the whole for Pan
Just wish i'd got hold of some of that travelcalm... i'm sure i could handle some severe muscle cramps for a few days of good quality hallucinations

maybe pan is selling the cold and flu pills to cover the refunds they are going to pay out for the recalled medicines

xsiiv, it doesn't really sound as if the "bad" travacalm was any different to the regular travacalm. Back in the olden days when we couldn't get any acid, we'd drop a few Travacalm with a couple of beers and have a wonderful time. %)

I wouldn't recommend it though, it was a cheap & NAS-tee high suitable only for desperate South Coast teens with nothing better to do...

In the article it states that one packet of Sudafed 90s can be turned into speed worth about $6000 at street level.... i find that hard to believe

Click to expand...

Ok, lets do some rough figures. If 1 pkt of 90x 60mg Sudafed contains 5.4g of pseudoephedrine...

... and allowing in the efficiency of the reduction process (probably 85% max for most) and the change in molecular weight (1g suzi HCl->(100%reduction)-> 0.915g meth HCl) the 5.4 grams of pseudo if fully extracted, would probably give:

5.4g x 0.85 (efficiency) x 0.915 (mol. weight change) = 4.2g of meth.

Of course we didn't allow for losses due to the size of the operation (as a percentage of total reaction size, this is generally greater in small batches), or the often inefficient process of pseudo extraction. If this is assumed to be absolutely minimal, say 5%, then a final weight of around 4g may be expected.

Now, however you do the math from here, IMO it is unlikely this would add up to being worth much over 2K$.



Perhaps there is a lower "street level" than what any of us have heard of, but 6K based on the above figures is around a 30:1 cut!!

During a rather abstract moment 8) I thought; if a medium line is say 50mg in weight, and the product is present as 1part in 30, then there's about 1.6mg of meth in a line. Taking into account the irritation to mucous membrane from the adulterant and the repeated administrations necessary in order to obtain effect, the user is very likely to have to visit a pharmacist for some much needed nasal decongestant.
Can anyone see a pattern forming? 8(


On a more serious note, now that OTC sources of pseudo have become so restricted, I'm sure more of the big producers will resort to stealing in order to temporarily maintain their share of the market. That is (and that's only a matter of time) until someone comes up with an equally simple production technique using another as yet unwatched precursor.

those figures are based on absolutely nothing b/c the average Joe Suburb doesn't know anything about drugs. if i didnt know what i know and i read that in a newspaper, why would i have any reason to doubt them?

...God Bless Bluelight!

Here here timmy.... Thank fuck! for BL ....

interesting theory phasedancer

perhaps it will be imported more often in the future as restrictions increase

milkybar you're a trashbag

Good maths phase_dancer

Phase_dancer: your maths looks like you obviously know what you are talking about as usual except for the last part. Say Pan CEOs son's mate Bobby gets 4.2g of say 95% meth out of a packet.

Now without mentioning any prices, everyone here should know how much the smallest baggie of meth that trickles down from Bobby to the end user goes for on the street. Now many consider this a standard dose and will just snort or eat the whole thing when they get it, just like they would dump a speed bomb and from both, they would expect to get reved for the night at least most of it.

Now Bobby figures that it takes about 20mg or 0.02g to get an occasional rec user to get of their head.

(4.2g/0.02) * prices per packet 20mg meth which is cut with shit to make up volume to 100mg = ***a lot - in fact about twice more than the newspaper has mentioned***

So obviously, coppers think ppl must get better gear then they actually do from my observations!!! Or maybe they take into account that Bobby will give them half so he can stay in business

***EDIT*** Just to clearify, this is assuming a 1:3 cut. And believe me, i'm pretty sure i've seen worse in my yonger days where you need a couple of points to get you going even with fairly low tolerance.

I agree Runner that strength of end user product can and does approach a homeopathic preparation at times, but I was basing my above figures on average seizure purities as reported by police in the 2000 IDRS:

Purity: The average purity of seizures across
Australia is 22%, an increase from 1999 (16%).
Purity varies markedly across jurisdictions. As in
1999, amphetamine purity is highest in QLD
(28%). Purity is lowest in TAS (7%) and the NT
(5%). In comparison to 1999, there have been
marked increases in purity in WA (23% v 12%),
SA (17% v 7%), and VIC (16% v 11%). Although
not reflected in Table 2, AFP seizures also indicate
a large increase in purity in NSW (36% v
14%) (in previous years, only AFP data were
available for NSW, whereas Table 2 includes
local seizures as well as AFP seizures).

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It was this report which officially classified Brisbane as the speed capital of the world. Now there's a [sic] good tourism marketing statement

Of course powders of any sort can be cut to nothing, so therefore the original police statement is in some ways correct, but in reality most meth suppliers feed a rapidily growing as well as an already established market. The players are many, and like most compeditive markets, a single shit product may see a new dealer replacing the old.

Sure, a bag or bindi bought down a dark ally may contain all dextrose, and in tough times the practice is undoubtedly more widespread, but as said, speed will always be around. Certainly in enough quantities to normally keep that 5% minimum content happening.

Over the past couple of months I've been shown various product which is as clean as I've ever seen it (visually that is). This stuff is clear/ white crystals. It seems to be everywhere, from Brisbane to the coasts. It doesn't smell of solvents and sells in some areas for less than half its normal price.


I guess I see a statement like the 6K/pkt thing as implying it is usual for someone to obtain a pkt of Sudafed and produce 6K worth of cut product, or that big bosses actually work on that sort of profit margin. Highly improbable in both cases IMHO