Australia: New laws to target illegal drug labs

NEW laws on over-the-counter medicines and tablet presses are planned by the federal Government in a bid to crack down on illegal drug manufacturers.

Justice Minister Chris Ellison said yesterday that he would consider any measure to tackle the "biggest frontier" in Australia's illicit drug problem -- the increasing manufacture and trade of amphetamines.

Last month, Senator Ellison called for tenders for an independent evaluation of possible controls on tablet presses and "precursor chemicals," found in non-prescription medications used in the production of speed and designer drugs such as ecstasy.

The move follows a similar tightening of controls on some over-the-counter cold and flu tablets, containing pseudoephedrine, which from yesterday can only be sold in pharmacies in most states.

Senator Ellison said the Government was also working with the pharmaceutical industry to devise ways to make it harder to extract the necessary chemicals from legitimate medications for the illicit drug trade.

"We are willing to try anything -- amphetamine-based drugs are the biggest frontier for law enforcement in this country," he said.

"I think that in Australia we are getting the message across about the dangers of heroin, but unfortunately the same can't be said about amphetamines.

"Young people just don't seem to be able to see the dangers of these so-called designer drugs, which are really designed to cause harm."

In Australia, the supply and use of amphetamines is believed to have grown ten-fold between 1996 and 2002, a rise that has been attributed to increased local production and importation of methamphetamine.

In June last year, the Australian Crime Commission warned that gangs dealing in amphetamines and other synthetic drugs posed the biggest organised criminal threat to Australia.

Almost 10 illegal amphetamine labs are discovered every week in Australia.

Senator Ellison said he hoped new regulations for tablet presses would be introduced into legislation by the end of the year.

"At the moment, drug gangs can buy a rotary tablet press for $US4000 ($5470), which turns out about 3000 tablets an hour," he said.

"The gangs might produce the drugs, but they need to get it into tablet form to sell it on the street. But there are no existing laws, no licences needed to own a press.

"Police might seize a press from a basement and, if the drugs are hidden somewhere else, it is very hard to legally demonstrate that it is being used for the illicit drug trade."

Senator Ellison said Customs agents were also being trained to detect "precursor chemicals" at Australia's borders.

"As we have more successes in cracking down on access locally to these chemicals, the gangs are increasingly trying to import them into Australia," he said. "Customs agents may be able to easily detect and recognise drugs like heroin and cocaine, but they are less familiar with these sorts of drugs."

In December, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Crime Commission launched an inquiry into amphetamines and other synthetic Drugs in Australia.

The inquiry, which will report later in the year, will look at strategies to reduce the trade in Australia, including the extent of organised crime involvement.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate:Mon, 2 January, 2006
Source: The Courier-Mail (Australia)
Author: Michael McKenna
Website: http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au