NEWS: Herald-Sun 18 Jan 05: Ecstasy explosion fear

[BigTrancer]

Ecstasy explosion fear
Paul Anderson
18jan05

CRIME syndicates are poised to unleash a flood of locally produced ecstasy, top drug investigators believe.

Police fear young partygoers could be at risk in the school and university holiday period.

Major drug investigation division boss Det-Supt Tony Biggin said intelligence suggested more syndicates were going to produce locally rather than import.

Massive demand for amphetamines -- a market that spurred Melbourne's recent gangland killings -- has led organised crime gangs to cut costs by producing ecstasy in secret suburban drug labs.

"It (ecstasy) will be the new burgeoning drug," Det-Supt Biggin told the Herald Sun.

"It's our focus at the moment. I think the market is open and if people can make it in-house, they're cutting their costs dramatically.

"One of the great dangers is that more and more people are picking up the expertise."

The division, formed in 2002 to replace the disbanded drug squad, has uncovered and shut down 79 criminal amphetamine labs.

The process to make ecstasy in clandestine labs is similar to that of amphetamine production.

"Just a couple of months ago the federal police got 80,000 pills coming out of Victoria," Det-Supt Biggin said. "It's my understanding they were going north to the Gold Coast. That's a lot of pills. At $30 a pill, that's about $2.4 million worth."

Det-Insp Bob Hill, also of the division, said: "Criminals are becoming more educated, thus more ecstasy is being produced locally.

"A section of today's youth aren't interested in going out for a drink. They're popping pills to get their kicks. It's a short-term thrill that could end in long-term misery."

It was a natural progression for amphetamine cartels to move into ecstasy, "just as the older guys in the amphetamine world were the heroin dealers in the '80s", he said.

Det-Supt Biggin said ecstasy was potentially deadly and had already claimed several young lives in Australia and caused long-term health problems for others.

"One of the problems with ecstasy is the horrible term 'party drug'. It's a terrible term because it actually gives it a soft image when it is rather an insidious drug," he said. "The red mitsubishi tablets that are currently around, and there's plenty of them around, are bowling people over.

"If anyone thinks illegal drugs are made in a clean pristine world, they're wrong. They're made in garages and dirty environments. Some crime gangs, for example, put silver foil in ecstasy.

"While people might think, 'I'm doing nothing wrong . . . it's my body and I'll do what I want with it', what they're doing is fuelling the lifestyles of people who shouldn't be living that lifestyle."

From:http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,11966317%5E2862,00.html

BigTrancer

 

[eccitude]

"While people might think, 'I'm doing nothing wrong . . . it's my body and I'll do what I want with it', what they're doing is fuelling the lifestyles of people who shouldn't be living that lifestyle."

Yep, I can see how the politics of envy will stop people wanting to use ecstacy 8)

 

[Pleonastic]

Yeah, that's some circular logic at it's very best! 8(

 

[VelocideX]

Silver foil? That's a new one. What on earth would they gain by doing that?

 

[eccitude]

Silver foil? That's a new one. What on earth would they gain by doing that?

To indicate that they hadn't forgotten to add the heroin

 

[VelocideX]

Maybe they haven't used aluminium foil and actually used silver foil... then I can mine my turds to pay for my pills. Self-supporting

 

[phase_dancer]

It's possible that amongst the media entanglement of facts, someone took the term "silver foil" from the process using Al foil which is commonly employed in the manufacture of MDMA.

When the final stage of OTC MDMA production is carried out - known as reductive amination - for smaller batch runs it would generally be more economical and way less conspicuous to use aluminium foil together with a mercury salt as the reduction catalyst. The salt can be prepared from mercury metal, found in old tilt switches. As preparation is time consuming, and waste considerable, in larger setups other reducing methods would be seen (Hydrogenation, hydride reducing agents etc)

I don't recall ever hearing of foil in MDMA tablets. I've seen people pull out some very odd things from broken or cut pills but never Al or heaven forbid, Ag foil. However, appreciating the potential for all things nasty, I'm not surprised what could turn up.

It doesn't take a prophet to have seen this coming. Many on this board have said for years that local production figures will increase proportionally with successful import enforcement.

The answer to the problem and the reasoning behind it is basically simple. Reduce the demand and the market first or splintering among networks will occur. For some-one or group, there's opportunity accompanying every supply disruption.

My crystal ball says more trouble is on the way. Drugs which circumvent screening tests, larger numbers of tablets found with mixtures of drugs; pharms, novel illicits and RC's [?] (for want of a better term) and perhaps even a new market for the more fashionable "refined" experiences offered by some recently re-discovered or specifically designed psychedelics.

"One of the great dangers is that more and more people are picking up the expertise."

But people are also more educated full stop. It's intent that usually precedes such a crime, and that should be considered the danger, not having or even seeking the knowledge. When it comes down to it, any post grad student involved in chemical sciences could make it. The perspective and therefore the focus should be on monitoring of chemical supplies and compulsory account / registration for any chemical purchases.

This probably sounds severe - and it would never completely stop manufacturing, particularly small operators for whom OTC routes would prove viable - but I believe it would limit production during the initial wave, the time when stores are being stocked up. Such a system would not so much limit by restricting additional chemicals, it would merely require an official register and a compliance to the current diversion code for those purchasing. In this way legit workers would not be so hampered by red tape.


Compared to recent times, buying an E may one day be like picking a card from a pack full of jokers. Some proponents of zero tolerance would no doubt argue that this represented successful enforcement policy and produced the best deterrent of all 8(

 

[ANDO420]

DAMN THAT PISSES ME OFF GERRR

 

[Leprechaun]

put silver foil in ecstasy

Damn, you use aluminium foil to make MDMA! What a retarded police officer... I think he is the one with long term brain damage.

Sheesh, do some research first.

 

[Joop]

"A section of today's youth aren't interested in going out for a drink. They're popping pills to get their kicks. It's a short-term thrill that could end in long-term misery."

Right, cause the short term thrill of drinking could never end in long term misery, could it? 8)

 

[Fry-d-]

In recent years we've been flooded with backyard brand methamphetamines. If the syndicates see a demand for ecstasy and importation is getting that much harder it’s quite an obvious move to start producing locally. I would be suprised if it's not already been going on for some time.

Seeing the quality of some of the extremely poorly produced methamphetamines that have made its way onto the streets by people thinking only about the money it is of some concern what impurities could be found in bath tub MDMA. The end product would be somewhat more difficult reach than meth so you could imagine many more things could go wrong.

 

[marklar_the_23rd]

its so funny, that they cannot see, all the arguments they use to say that ecstacy is bad can be nullified if it is legalised and controlled.

 

[deano]

To indicate that they hadn't forgotten to add the heroin

LOL never let the truth stand in the way of a good story

 

[deano]

its so funny, that they cannot see, all the arguments they use to say that ecstacy is bad can be nullified if it is legalised and controlled.

Yep the WOD in the USA is a perfect example of a system not working, if it keeps going the way it is, there will be more people in jail than out.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't 90% of the deaths due to "ecstacy" actually from people not getting MDMA in their pills?

 

[deano]

"While people might think, 'I'm doing nothing wrong . . . it's my body and I'll do what I want with it', what they're doing is fuelling the lifestyles of people who shouldn't be living that lifestyle."


and a round of applause for the above statement.

 

[SIM-1]

Originally posted by marklar_the_23rd
its so funny, that they cannot see, all the arguments they use to say that ecstacy is bad can be nullified if it is legalised and controlled.

WOW!!! This is what i've been saying for ages now!! We can't all be wrong

 

[Courage]

Hyperthetically is someone did start producing good stuff locally ...wouldn't that just about half the price ?

 

[Zandesh]

Hyperthetically is someone did start producing good stuff locally ...wouldn't that just about half the price ?

what's the use of reducing the profit, and price when people will still pay the normal price for it?



And I've been saying this for a while (even before I did drugs), the best way to stop drug crimes, dealers, deaths due to bad quality drugs is to legalise it.


Just imagine all the dealers out there, who are selling bad drugs to the schoolkids, will be out of a job.

The end product will be pure and a good quality drug, thus minimising the risk of someone dying due to say for example, a bad pill.

Just imaging how much money the government will get from it?

Money from drugs, could be put into rehab facilities, drug information seminars, harm reduction. That money could also be put back into the people, say into better hospitals? Better school facilities, a better CityRail?


Lives would be saved.

Police would no longer need to risk their lives, busting some dealer.



You could say, if you legalise the drug, there would be more drug addicts out there. Then again, drugs are just as easy to get as smokes over the counter (maybe exaggerated but still). Whoever was going to become an addict, would've become one anyway if it was legal or not. At least if drugs were legal, you are minimising the risk of the addict dying from bad quality drugs. The tax on drugs, could be spent getting the addict back on his feet again.

I've got a whole lot to say on this topic too :-/

 

[Special-T.B.K]

One of the problems with ecstasy is the horrible term 'party drug'. It's a terrible term because it actually gives it a soft image when it is rather an insidious drug," he said. "The red mitsubishi tablets that are currently around, and there's plenty of them around, are bowling people over.

NOPE. Wrong again PIG.

When I see the word Party drug I think, hmmm FUN most people do know that Ecstacy is an insidious drug. As for the Red Mitsubishi tablets, LOL. What a joke, they couldn't find anything wrong with them (even the police labs) calling pills PMA bombs, when really just a strong dose of MDMA. As for bowling people over I do not know, I would morely say... ROLLIN' people over! Once again, Red Mitsubishi's being blamed once again for the deaths of simple cases of an overdose, being called an adulterated pill when infact we all know that the Mitsubishi's were a strong pill and for those that tested, know that they came up NEGATIVE.

I can't quite remember what it was that the Labs found in the pills, but I'm sure I heard on the news that the Red Mitsubishi's that they found at the scenes of a cpl of the (couple) deaths only infact contained MDMA and Caffeine. Plus to add to that infact one of the *death pills* was infact a CK, not a Mitzi. Keep that quiet too, only say that once, that's all the public needs to hear it. Funny how the MEDIA has no problem with shooting their mouth off having a field day with the *red mitsubishi's* being the pill of death etc... then when the results came back. They kept a very tight lip only showing it for one night that the Mitzi's weren't these DEATH PILLS, that they were speaking of.
FUNNY THAT

Anything to get a good story, FUCK THE TRUTH, rape this for what it's worth!

Don't Criticize it... Legalize it....

IF, IF, IF. They actually legalised MDMA and gave a monthly intake maximum for people etc... The government would save lives. From these DIRTY PILLS. They would save money and MAKE EVEN MORE. There would be no more Chasing XTC Dealers. No more Police deaths from shootouts etc... No more GANGLAND shootings!

PEACE FOR THE NATION... VOTE 1 SPEC-TBK for PM!

SpecTBK

 

[deano]

what's the use of reducing the profit, and price when people will still pay the normal price for it?



And I've been saying this for a while (even before I did drugs), the best way to stop drug crimes, dealers, deaths due to bad quality drugs is to legalise it.


:-/

Couldn't agree more. EVERYTHING is illegal in Australia