297 ‘clan labs’ detected in Queensland in 2009–10

The Australian Crime Commission’s (ACC) Illicit Drug Data Report 2009–10 has revealed 297 clandestine laboratories were detected in Queensland in 2009–10, more than any other state or territory.

Queensland reported the greatest increase in clan lab detections, more than doubling from 148 in 2008–09.

“There were 694 clandestine laboratories detected in Australia in 2009–10, 42 per cent of these were located in Queensland,” ACC Chief Executive Officer John Lawler said.

Mr Lawler launched the ACC’s Illicit Drug Data Report 2009–10 at the Royal Perth Hospital with burns specialist Dr Fiona Wood and Western Australia Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan urging people to consider the physical harms caused by clandestine laboratories.

“The substances used to make illicit drugs such as MDMA and Methylamphetamine in illicit clan labs are toxic, corrosive, explosive and carcinogenic and pose a significant risk to the community, including respiratory problems, severe burns and even death,” Mr Lawler said.

“The residue of drug manufacturing can pose risks for many years including damage to the environment through soil and water contamination as well as the disposal of toxic waste in public spaces.”

Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson welcomed the report, which is the 8th edition produced by the ACC.

“Traditionally there has been more Clandestine laboratory finds in Queensland than other jurisdictions. This is a credit to Police Officers throughout the state who are involved in the location and detection of these laboratories,” Commissioner Atkinson said.

“These labs can be highly dangerous to investigating police and the people involved in manufacturing illegal drugs. This danger also sometimes extends to innocent people such as children who are living at the premises.

“Any member of the public who has information or suspicion about Clandestine laboratories should contact Crime Stoppers,” he said.

The Illicit Drug Data Report has become a key tool in the fight against illicit drug use, by providing government, law enforcement and relevant stakeholders with a national picture of the illicit drug market.

The data collected in the report is sourced from a variety of state and federal agencies, including Queensland Police, Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services, the Australian Federal Police and Customs and Border Protection.

A copy of the report is available at www.crimecommission.gov.au.

Key findings from Illicit Drug Data Report 2009–10:

• Over 85 000 illicit drug related arrests were made in 2009–10 — the highest in the last decade.
• Drug types that recorded the most substantial increase in arrests over the last decade are cocaine and amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), increasing by 91 per cent and 58 per cent respectively.
• The 63 670 national illicit drug seizures in 2009–10 is the second highest reported in the last decade.
• Over 7.8 tonnes of illicit drugs were seized nationally in 2009–10.
• A record 694 clandestine laboratories were detected — an increase of 55 per cent from 2008–09 and 245 per cent since 2000–01.

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