CRACKDOWN ON PEOPLE BUYING 'SPEED' INGREDIENTS

Wellington police are planning a crackdown on people buying cold and flu
tablets for illegal speed manufacture.

Organised crime unit head Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Arnerich said
police hoped to launch an operation similar to Operation Rattle, under way
in the Waikato.

In Operation Rattle pharmacists have recorded the names of Waikato people
who have bought tablets containing the speed-making ingredient
pseudoephedrine in the past 18 months.

Mr Arnerich said the purchasing of medications with this ingredient was a
big problem in the Wellington area.

"We have an informal liaison with chemists at the moment, and we hope to
strengthen that in the future," he said.

Wellington police had tried to get a similar operation under way previously,
but their efforts had to be put on hold when several high profile crimes
happened in the area.

"But we will endeavour to do the same thing soon," he said.

Sergeant Wayne Reed from Operation Rattle said some people were known to try
to buy cold and flu tablets up to five times a day, every day. The tablets
sell for about $13 a packet, and are then bought by "drug cooks" for up to
$150.