HIGH-RISE UNITS ARE NEW HAVEN FOR METH LABS
A methamphetamine shortage is driving a whole new boom in backyard labs … but this time the intel is that they’re going sky high
ADD this one to the long list of Covid shortages … meth.
That’s right, apparently even the scourge of the suburbs, methamphetamine, is in scant supply.
While that may seem like good news, in reality it could be driving a whole new boom in backyard labs … especially with the price of the drug skyrocketing.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, disruptions to methamphetamine production in Mexico and the European Union have led to a twofold to sixfold increase in methamphetamine prices.
It’s not so much another example of the cost of living, as the cost of dying.
And now, unscrupulous dealers are seizing this opportunity to make their fortune.
Recently, the Mackay Supreme Court heard that Brenton Victor Boden, who was convicted of trafficking a dangerous drug, saw a hole in the drug market due to Covid19 shortages and tried to fill it by attempting to build his own meth lab.
While Mr Boden was caught, others are still out there.
Just ask Michael Cox, owner and operator of Miamibased Total Inspections, which conducts methamphetamine testing for prospective property purchasers.
He says that, these days, meth labs are hidden where you would least expect them.
“It’s not run-down old beach shacks or crappy cottages in the suburbs anymore, luxury high-rise units are now the labs of choice,” says Mr Cox.
“I do a lot of body corporate inspections and we’re finding meth labs in brand new buildings.
“It’s all concrete walls so the noise and smells are less likely to filter through and being up so high you don’t see the lights.
“The fact that so many people live in these buildings actually makes it easier to hide.
“People are less nosy when there are so many of you, privacy is prioritised.
“Tenants can come and go at all hours and no one really notices, they probably just think it’s another Airbnb.”
But the reality is far worse than your average party house.
Exposure to the chemicals used in the creation of meth can lead to severe and immediate effects including respiratory issues, immediate threat to life and long-term disability.
“Many of the multiple chemicals that can be used to make illicit drugs are toxic, flammable and/or corrosive…. contamination becomes a potential health risk when humans are exposed to hazardous contaminants,” according to a report on clandestine drug labs by the Environmental Health Standing Committee.
It’s an issue spreading right across Queensland.
Focused on Cleaning owner Tim Kingston told the Toowoomba Chronicle last month that meth labs were especially prevalent at the moment, with 22 houses testing positive for the drug in the past year alone.
“We usually get called to the site when people purchase a property and have felt a bit crook.
“Another big giveaway is when there are patched-up holes in the wall, it’s evidence of anger and people using this drug usually have short tempers.”
If a house tests positive, the whole home is coated in a wet foam which extracts the chemical remnants from the paint.
Of course, spotting the
It’s not so much another example of the cost of living, as the cost of dying
problem before purchase is a far easier prospect, but Mr Cox says even with property prices beginning to drop, buying sight unseen is still a common occurrence.
“People are still going to auctions and don’t want to pay for inspections in case they don’t win the property … then they’re left with a nasty surprise with no way out.”
So buyer, landlords, tenants and body corp beware … because it seems Covid is once again delivering an unprecedented and unwelcome shock to our already unstable and extreme property market.