Cops swoop on drug lab

Police raided a clandestine drug laboratory just a few hours after it had finished producing drugs with a potential street value in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The drug squad revealed last night they had watched and recorded the activities of two men at the lab for hours before they raided the Adelaide River property on Tuesday night.

``We had information and we conducted some surveillance on Tuesday and we acted on what we'd seen and heard on that day,'' Superintendent Kris Evans said.

Along with the partially dismantled lab was a large amount of chemicals and powder.

Police guarded the house overnight while a forensic chemist was brought from Darwin to complete the search of the home.

``Due to dangers involved in Clandestine labs a crime scene guard was put in place over night at the residence,'' Supt Evans said.

``The following day the Drug Enforcement Unit members, with forensics including a chemist, returned to the location and seized a large number of items.

Police seized the lab and chemicals and a quantity of powder believed to be amphetamine.

They also found recipes for the manufacture of the drug and chemistry handbooks.

They seized a large number of cannabis seeds, an air rifle, various calibres of ammunition and items of stolen property.

Supt Evans said forensic analysis was still being carried out on the drugs seized from the home.

It was the 77th seizure of amphetamine by the drug squad since June 2003. It is the fifth clandestine drug lab found by the drug squad in that time.

A 23-year-old Darwin man has been charged with 12 drug-related charges and one count of unlawful possession.

A 48-year-old Adelaide River man has been charged with 10 drug-related charges, four firearms charges and an unlawful possession charge.

Both men will face Darwin Magistrates Court on June 8.

Newshawk: http://www.tuf.org.au
Pubdate: 21 May 2004
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Copyright: 2004 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://ntnews.news.com.au/