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China link to bikie amphetamine lab
From: By Neil Mercer
April 16, 2006
CHINESE criminals have allegedly joined forces with an Australian bikie gang in
a bid to produce amphetamines in NSW worth at least $30 million.
But plans to make the drug were foiled 10 days ago when Australian Federal
Police raided a remote property near Murwillumbah, in the State's north.
Seven alleged syndicate members have been arrested so far.
The Sunday Telegraph has learned that one of them is a member of the Rebels
Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.
Police are still seeking another key player, a Chinese criminal based in Hong
Kong.
Police sources said last week the Chinese man had come to Australia around
October or
November last year.
He was bringing with him a small amount of a precious metal called palladium.
Police said palladium acted as a catalyst in the amphetamine-producing process.
Like many other chemicals or ingredients, palladium is often easier to obtain
overseas than it is locally.
"We actually thought at first they were importing drugs," a senior AFP source
said.
"We managed to track them through and found the laboratory near Murwillumbah."
The property had a number of buildings, including one with a "secret underground
room".
The seven men are facing charges of conspiring to manufacture commercial
quantities of drugs. About 3.5kg of amphetamines, or speed, was allegedly
recovered on site.
AFP sources claimed there were enough chemicals on the property to produce 300kg
of speed with a street value of $30 million.
They said the chemicals could also have been used to produce the increasingly
popular drug "ice", which is a much purer form of amphetamine. None was found,
despite the AFP originally saying it had discovered "a major ice laboratory".
Firearms and about $30,000 in cash were also seized.
According to the NSW Crime Commission, a total of 58 clandestine labs were
discovered in NSW last year, and 46 of them were producing speed. Six were
making ecstasy.
The trend to local production of ecstasy and ice is increasingly worrying law
enforcement.
The drugs have traditionally been imported via Europe or Asia and the move to
local production is in response to the growing demand.
In a submission to a parliamentary committee in February, the crime commission
said the market in Australia was "rapidly expanding".
Although the Federal Police started their investigation late last year, they
only discovered the Murwillumbah laboratory about four weeks ago.
The vital tip-off that helped dismantle the alleged syndicate came from police
in Hong Kong.
A senior AFP officer told The Sunday Telegraph: "It's a good illustration of the
two-way street.
"We have copped a lot of stick for providing information to overseas agencies
(the Indonesian police in the case of the Bali Nine). This is information coming
to us from overseas. It just shows we need to co-operate."
