METHAMPHETAMINE CITY

West Auckland Is The Methamphetamine Capital Of New Zealand, Says Police
Communications Adviser, Peter Gill.

Mr Gill's comments follow a police raid on another clandestine drug
laboratory - the third in as many months.

Detective Constable Kylie Newton says the methamphetamine (speed) lab was
discovered in a Titirangi Rd garage, following a tipoff.

"The council came along that same day and condemned the building, which was
derelict," Mr Newton says.

"There were 10 local cops involved, as well as the drug squad from Auckland,
one dog and members of the ESR (Environmental Science and Research)."

Mr Newton says the scene was cleared by CIB staff and drug squad members.

"If the chemicals are disrupted during the process they will explode. The
vapour given off is harmful so we had the ESR team go in with full body
suits."

Detective Inspector Gary Knowles, from the national drug intelligence
bureau, says West Auckland is "a breeding ground" for speed labs.

"Unfortunately there will be pockets in cities where, because of the
subculture and the make up of the criminal element, they are more
prevalent," Mr Knowles says.

"That doesn't mean west Auckland is a bad place, it just means that
unfortunately people seem to be setting up labs and are getting tumbled by
some really good street cops.

Mr Knowles says organised crime is heavily into speed production because of
the quick results and big money.

"The good "cooks" are obviously well sought after and the gangs look after
them. They are not necessarily gang members but are good at their trade.

"A cannabis plant takes up to six months to mature and bring a reward,
methamphetamine can be made overnight."

Motels Become Drug Factories

Motel owners are unwittingly letting their units to criminals for overnight
drug making operations.

Detective Inspector Gary Knowles, from police national headquarters, says
methamphetamine producers are regularly shifting locations to avoid being
caught.

"A lot of these guys are using motels and the first thing the owner knows
about it is when he goes in and finds staining on the walls and various
things."

Mr Knowles says police pay the high costs to have raided drug labs cleaned
up.

"Getting rid of the hazardous substances, the chemicals, the whole nine
yards - it takes a huge amount of time and effort, we leave the scene
cleaner than when we arrived."

He says dangerous chemical residue coats the walls during baking and, in
most cases, rental properties are used.

"Not only are they selling these drugs to kids but it's also the byproducts
pumped into streams. For every kilo of product they make there's 10 to 20
times as much byproduct flushed down toilets."

Mr Knowles says once the drug is ready for the street it is spread among a
broad range of people.

"There doesn't seem to be any age limit and there doesn't seem to be any
particular type of person - it cuts across all social classes.

"We've heard incidents of young teenagers using as well as people in their
late 50s and 50s."

Detecting a user is not simple.

Methamphetamine, unlike other drugs, has no smell.

"There is no doubt about it, the drug is having a huge effect across various
communities, especially the smaller ones in Northland where these guys are
pumping the stuff out.

"Its not a case of kids coming home smelling of dak, and mum or dad
realising it, but there are some indicators that we are going to look at.

"You are looking for changes in the way people act, the problem with
methamphetamine is there are very high highs and the lows are just as bad."

Mr Knowles says the after-effects of methamphetamine abuse can be nasty, as
users battle to keep their sanity.

"They take a cocktail of other drugs to bring themselves down again."

New Laws To Clamp Down On Drugs

Methamphetamine will be reclassified and Pesudoephedrine-based drug sales
curtailed if strict new laws being considered by Government select
committees get introduced.

Detective Inspector Gary Knowles, from the national drug intelligence
bureau, says several new initiatives have started as police battle the
chemical's spread.

Mr Knowles says plans include a law change to have methamphetamine
reclassified, possibly as a class A drug like heroin.

The drugs are now second class of class B.

"We are trying to push to have it through this year," he says. "This will
show the public and the judiciary how serious we are taking it."

Mr Knowles says the drug is so dangerous that even police staff dealing with
its toxic byproducts at illegal laboratories are at risk.

He says frontline staff likely to deal with the problem are getting
intensive training to protect their health.

Mr Knowles says legislative change will help police combat the problem.

"If we reclassify them it will give the police more powers to search without
warrants and higher penalties," he says.