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NEWS: Herald Sun - 05/04/2006 'Cops bust 50 drug labs'

hoptis

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Cops bust 50 drug labs
Paul Anderson
05 Apr 2006

Criminals focus on speed, ice, ecstasy

POLICE have busted nearly 50 drug laboratories in Victoria in the past 18 months as the use of amphetamine-based drugs runs rampant.

New regulations brought in on April 1 restrict the sale of tablets containing pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient in speed and ice, and have caused a shortage of cold and flu medicines.

Pharmacists told the Herald Sun some brands have been taken off the shelves and they are waiting on stock.

Pharmaceutical companies are reducing packet quantities to comply with the laws.

As part of a major effort to break the back of amphetamine and ecstasy gangs, the Victoria Police major drug investigation division has uncovered the labs in rich postcodes as well as low socio-economic areas.

The well-to-do suburbs involved include Brighton, Moonee Ponds, Melbourne and Essendon.

The poorer areas include Springvale, Sunshine, Noble Park, Doveton and Bayswater.

Labs have been found as close as the city and as far away as Mildura.

Disturbingly, detectives believe these 50 drug labs may be the tip of the iceberg in what is now a multi-billion dollar industry in Australia.

"There has been a steady increase in the location of clandestine laboratories over the past few years, but what concerns Victoria Police is the number that go on undetected," said Det-Insp Adrian White, of the major drug investigation division.

"There appears to be a trend towards smaller labs that can be transported from house to house or in some cases, motel to motel."

Drug detectives have teamed with the Pharmacy Guild and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia to cut the availability of pseudoephedrine to runners working for the drug gangs.

Pseudoephedrine, a decongestant, is the main ingredient needed to make speed or ice.

According to new federal regulations, people now have to gain a doctor's prescription for high doses of cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine previously available at pharmacies.

While customers seeking a box of cold and flu tablets already have to deal directly with a pharmacist, those asking for larger quantities -- greater than 720mg in packs or 800mg in liquid form -- now have to consult a doctor for a prescription.

The decision is expected to impact on the number of Medicare claims lodged.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia state branch president Dipak Sanghvi said the rules regarding doctors' prescriptions would inevitably have some effect on Medicare.

"That was one of the reasons we argued for all (pseudoephedrine-based) products not to go to prescription, as we were obviously concerned about the cost to Medicare," he said.

"But the safety of the community comes first."

The doctors' prescription law came into effect at the weekend.

Police and pharmaceutical authorities say the criminals making speed and ice can be directly blamed for the rules.

When asked how many labs might go undetected compared with those that are uncovered, Det-Insp White said: "That is a difficult question and is really impossible to answer, but I would think we would possibly locate a third of the labs that are being operated."

Australia is now estimated to have more dependent methamphetamine users than heroin addicts. One in 10 people having tried an amphetamine-based narcotic.

While speed has long been recognised, a crystal hybrid called ice has become a major concern for police and paramedics. Ice is a more potent form of speed and can trigger homicidal tendencies.

"It appears certain members of the community do not see amphetamine and other synthetic drugs as being in the same league as, say, heroin -- this could not be further from the truth," Det-Insp White said.

"These drugs are made in back sheds and under houses.

"The manufacturers are not overly concerned in making a clean product. All they are interested in is making a dollar."

Ecstasy use is rising.

"Many people consider it to be a safe drug," Det-Insp White said.

"In fact, we have seen that much of the ecstasy being sold on the street is just amphetamine (speed) being made in tablet form.

"We have seen ecstasy labs in Victoria and NSW.

"That is a concern, given the extremely large market share.

"Traditionally ecstasy has been imported but just like amphetamines, once the knowledge base for manufacturing ecstasy spreads then so too will the manufacturing of this drug."

From Herald Sun
 
rofl "most ecstacy is just speed in tablet form"

hahahahahaha

i love the way MDxx is still called 'ecstacy' you think we'd actually get a decent nick name for it... well - street slang does.

As if most the pills are bunk ass speed bombs. God, good to know the boys are working the shit bix off to the coppers ;)
 
hahaha yeah midas well clear the crap ones out. but boo hoo bout all these lab shut downs...
 
yeah tell me about it. the weirdest thing of all is in the paper they showed the places in vic where labs were found. one was Benalla. i live there n its just a tiny country town. goes to show how well they can cover it all up especially when i know the right ppl here when things are wanted n no1 knew about it.
 
Ha i live in tassie. You could set up a fucking superlab out in the bush and they still wont find it. For every lab they bust, there's hundreds more popping up. the big boys pay the little boys to take the risk.
 
is it true what is said in the article about ice being made in oz? has there been hard evidence to show ICE being made in Australia? Or is it ALL imported? or is the answer to this not truly known???
 
"is it true what is said in the article about ice being made in oz? has there been hard evidence to show ICE being made in Australia?"

hell yes.
 
There have been numerous meth lab busts in Australia so I'm pretty sure the police are certain the drug is manufactured here. There have also been numerous import busts of the drug (i.e. the Sydney speedboat recently).

EDIT: Check out this awesome chronology from the Four Corners website; Chronology: The Emergence of Methamphetamine in Australia
 
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Kids in drug lab danger
Paul Anderson
12 Apr 2006

DETECTIVES are shocked at finding more young children at poisonous clandestine drug laboratories as production of methamphetamines rises in Victoria.

The most worrying methamphetamine for police is ice -- a crystalised, potent version of speed that causes hallucinations, seizures and violent psychosis.

According to the major drug investigation division, ice labs are hidden in the suburbs.

As the Herald Sun revealed last week, Victorian detectives busted more than 50 methamphetamine labs in the past 18 months -- about a third of the labs they believe are operating.

"While there has been no large scale (ice) laboratory seizures, there has been a slight increase in the quantity of ice being seized at street level," Det-Insp Adrian White confirmed yesterday.

The clandestine labs are used to produce designer drugs like speed, ice and amphetamine-based ecstasy.

They are highly flammable and toxic.

Major drug detectives, who have to wear protective suits and breathing apparatus when dismantling the labs, are angry at a rise in the number of children found at homes where labs are operating.

The trend could spur a change in legislation so that negligent adults risking their children's lives while making methamphetamines can be punished severely by courts.

"It is extremely disturbing," Det-Insp White said.

"We are undertaking some research in potential drug-endangered children legislation.

"In the absence of specific legislation we will work in conjunction with the Department of Human Services to ensure the health and welfare of children when they are located in a drug lab."

Those who cook dangerous drugs around children can charged with offences including conduct endangering life.

Det-Insp White said ice was the most potent methamphetamine and usually smoked or injected.

"Crystal amphetamine is on the rise and this brings with it further health concerns as many people use ice intravenously," he said.

"As such, we are then faced with the same health issues that we see with heroin given that many drug users will share needles."

Photographs given to Victoria Police by US law enforcement agencies show the ravaging effects prolonged methamphetamine use can have.

Within five years they can look like they have aged 20 years, with open sores and rotten teeth.

Along with obvious physical deterioration, ice can cause high blood pressure, seizures, stroke, brain damage and death.

ANYONE with information about methamphetamine production is asked to call crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

From Herald Sun
 
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