NEWS: The Australian 30 Jul 03: Internet 'cookbook' fuels drug wars

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

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Nota bene. (obviously) My emphasis added.

BigTrancer

Go Fester!

Or they could tell the nation the name of the book (which wasn't really secret anyway i guess ) But any joe blow can google it and find stuff like http://www.fsbookco.com/SecretsOfMeth.html

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".

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There is quite a bit in that statement. In it's original version (still sold I think), Uncle Fester's book has several mistakes. Without the resources of the internet, many *would be cooks* would have thrown the book away in disgust, as success in some cases is impossible with the instructions given. However, government attempts at silencing through legislation against what it calls "promoting criminal services" will probably achieve few of its objectives. What it will do is create yet another broad gray area of legality concerning harm reduction measures and communication on boards such as BL. I have said many times I believe learning drug chemistry and related pharmacology is an important part of any thorough drug education, potentially serving as a powerful deterrent through informing users of not only what goes into production, but also of what can come out i.e. impurities, contaminants etc., and how these are likely to affect the body.



So where does education stop and criminal activity begin? In Qld the law is crazy in this regard. To give an example; I can draw out a typical reaction for reductive amination and all is legal provided the nominated compounds in the example don't lead to production of illicit substances. Reductive amination is commonly used in organic syntheses; amphetamines are just one example of its application. Yet as a lecturer in Qld, if you pick that as an interesting example, you commit a serious offence.

This was made plain in February when I attended a forensics lecture on amphetamines by Dr Jeff Rowe from La Trobe Uni. Hosted at Qld Uni, Dr Rowe had several slides explaining synthesis methods used in amphetamine/ MDMA production. These were necessary aids for discussion on analytical techniques his team had been developing. At the end of the lecture I was among those who stayed on for extra discussions. One of the first points raised was by a Forensics Professor from Qld who pointed out that much of the data presented in the lecture was in fact illegal to possess, or display in Qld. It was obvious to all concerned that the manner by which his information was disseminated was ethically sound and would be very unlikely to result in (further) offences being committed. Still, the professor thought it important enough to raise the matter as soon as he had the opportunity.


If such legislation is passed, I wonder what effect it may have upon institutions in regards to text book selection criteria, as many 1st choice texts may infringe laws by being seen as in someway "promoting criminal activity". Amphetamine is an important example of amination, demonstrating many principles learned in 1 & 2 year Organic Chem. Even if they removed that, you couldn't take out its cousin phenethylamine, as it's the basic example used to demonstrate chirality in alkyl aromatics.

As far as I know this book is still considered a compulsory text for 1st and 2nd year Organic Chemistry in many institutions

Mc Murry, Organic Chemistry; 4th Ed, pages 949-950

Amines can be synthesized in a single step reaction of a ketone......For example amphetamine, a central nervous system stimulant, is prepared commercially by reductive amination of....

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This goes on to describe reductive procedures and mechanism of the reaction. In principle, I don't see how is this definably different from that in Fester's book?

It would seem that with regards to legislation, broadly indefinable boundaries are actually an advantage to the *Ministry of Information Retrieval*. If the law takes a broad form, it could well be that merely being suspected of violating the act provides sufficient grounds for a person to be investigated. In which case it will be inevitable some innocent academics, informed users and HM workers etc will have their lives turned upside down in a futile attempt to limit/control personal communication.

Thank god -warts and all -for the untamable Demon Internet and subordinate chameleon proxy !

Hehehe I still have my copy of McMurry somewhere I think, from undergrad chem.

BigTrancer

This is the sort of news that provokes knee-jerk legistlation to be tabled by idiots who dont understand the technology and are only interested in taking action against the visible symptoms of a problem rather than its root causes. Years ago they tried to pass a law to ban public libraries from having internet access because the internet is full of porn and paedophiles and we have to protect our children....

What the article fails to cover is that while it may be illegal to possess such a book, if its available on the internet, you dont neccessarily have to possess it to read it. Some fuckwad poly is going to read this and decide that we need a list of govt sanctioned websites and those are the only ones people are allowed to read... fucking makes me sick

as stated previously, the internet and more specific sites have more resources than any one book could offer.

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still what a good article. Its not pontificating about the evils of knowledge(haha) or screaming KIDS ON NET WILL BECOME DRUG MANUFACTURORS, but lists the very real dangers of those thinking of dabbling in illicit manufactor that is 1. Bloodshed, 2. Blowing yourself up.

Looks like a shameless promotion to me. I'd say the cops are either in with Fester or at least his publishers

If you go to the buzzing place, you can personally take this theory up with the man himself

Watch out though, he has been known on occasion to be a killer (bee)

Hmm, I used to live in a sharehouse with a younger relative of the above mentioned Justice Minister, and it's a good thing said Minister didn't pop by our place at all. Let's just say he wouldn't have been arresting his young friend for owning BOOKS.

Enough slander. I'm aunty establishment. This is my first post.