POLICE AIM TO PUT THE HEAT ON SPEED LABS

Christchurch police are expecting to double the number of methamphetamine
laboratory busts this year.

The drug - known as speed - is blamed for rises in violent crime in many
centres.

Canterbury police drug squad head Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Williams
said 11 labs pproducing the drug were found in Canterbury last year.

He expected the number found this year would double in keeping with
national trends which saw 150 labs shut down by police last year.

Mr Williams said improved investigative techniques would help lift the
number of busts

Nationally, police and health agencies were alarmed at the effects of the
drug on its users, Mr Williams said.

"Methamphetamine is the most insidious drug I have seen in terms of
addiction and its effects on health. We are well aware of gangs telling
their members not to use the drug because of what it does."

Mr Williams said organised crime controlled the trade in the drug in the
city, and recent police intelligence suggested some North Island gangs were
thinking of moving in.

"What we are trying to stress is this drug is being used across all social
spheres in the community.

"It (methamphetamine) is allowing gangs to spread their tentacles through
the community.

"We want to locate and destroy as many labs as we can, and arrest as many
crooks as we can to get the message out to those who use it not to," Mr
Williams said.

Following the release of the national crime figures last week Police
Association president Greg O'Connor said the link between rising crime and
organised gangs producing methamphetamine could not be understated.