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30 Jul
Northern Tterritory police told media recently that organised crime gangs were behind some of the Territory's drug laboratories.
On the basis of the police claims, the local NT newspaper is stating that it believes that the Hell's Angels motorcycle club is one of the groups/gangs linked to the drug trade.
Their claims are also based on the continuing Australian Crime Commission investigation into the activities of the Hells Angels in the Territory, which is looking at the clubs alleged involvement in the drug industry and in the trafficking of illegal drugs around Australia
Whilst not specifically accusing the Hells Angels, police
revealed to the media, that 'gangs' were involved in:
SMUGGLING bulk consignments of stolen chemicals to manufacture
amphetamine from interstate;
ILLEGALLY importing bulk consignments of precursor chemicals _
including ephedrine _ from overseas;
SETTING UP and manufacturing amphetamines in the Territory;
BRINGING in trained ``speed cooks'' to the Territory to
manufacture drugs and to train other cooks; and
TRAFFICKING in bulk amphetamine illegally manufactured interstate
into the Territory.
Drug Squad boss Senior Sergeant Les Martin said there were definite ``links'' between organised crime and the manufacturing of amphetamine in the Territory.
``A number of labs were the work of one or two people only but intelligence suggests that bigger labs are used to produce much larger quantities of amphetamine,'' Sen-Sgt Martin said.
``Solo operators, one or two persons who are addicted and cooking basically for themselves, tend to use precursors sourced from chemists .
``The larger commercial-size labs tend to source precursors by illegal means, (such as) stolen bulk precursors or illegally imported precursors, because of the quantities of precursors required and to try and avoid detection methods used by police.''
During the 2003-04 financial year, police have uncovered six clandestine amphetamine laboratories.
Police have told the local media a $16 million speed lab busted by police in Darwin's industrial suburb of Winnellie last October was one of the labs linked to organised crime gangs.
