One of the largest drug labs in Australian history capable of producing a billion dollars worth of meth is discovered by police: real-life ‘Breaking Bad’
One of the largest drug labs in Australian history capable of producing a billion dollars worth of meth is discovered by police: real-life ‘Breaking Bad’
- Police found a meth largest lab similar to the TV show ‘Breaking Bad’
- It was capable of making up to a ton of methamphetamine
Police have discovered what may be the largest drug lab in Queensland after raiding three storage units in northern Brisbane.
Queensland Police and the Australian Federal Police executed three search warrants at a National Storage complex in Rothwell around 9am on Tuesday.
What officers found in three storage units is likely the largest planned clandestine drug facility ever found in the state.
Police have uncovered possibly the largest drug lab in Australian history after raids on three north Brisbane storage units capable of producing a ton of meth
The lab used two methods to make the drug, including the P2p method used for large-scale production, the same method used for “Breaking Bad”
More than 27 kg of pure crystal meth was discovered in the warehouse, along with $1 million worth of equipment and 900 kg of benzyl methyl ketone (BMK), the drug’s precursor.
That amount of BMK could yield nearly a ton of meth worth about half a billion dollars.
AFP detective Adrian Telfer said the amount of starting material and the cost of the industrial-scale lab equipment could only be put together by a reputable organized crime syndicate.
“The sheer size of this operation shows that the AFP and our partners have uncovered a highly sophisticated and well-funded organized crime operation,” said Chief Inspector Telfer.
“The AFP is working with the QPS and other law enforcement partners to identify the criminals linked to this operation to prevent them from taking advantage at the expense of our communities.”
The Courier Mail reported that the lab used two methods to make the drug, including the P2p method used for large-scale production in America and Mexico and is the same method used on the TV show Breaking Bad.
More than 27 kg of pure crystal meth was discovered in the warehouse, along with $1 million worth of equipment and 900 kg of benzyl methyl ketone (BMK), the precursor to meth
The amount of starting material and the cost of the industrial-scale lab equipment could only be assembled by a reputable organized crime syndicate
Detective Massingham is concerned about what the scale of drug facilities means for Australia’s meth production
The method is known to create a more potent product.
A 38-year-old Albion man and a 44-year-old Bracken Ridge man have been arrested and are expected to be charged at a later date.
Police believe the lab is connected to a similar facility at Pinkenba in Brisbane where $5.5 million in crystal meth and $500,000 in cash were seized in June.
Likewise, the meth seized was almost of ‘chemist’ grade, a level of purity never before cooked in Queensland.
“What worries me is that we’re turning the page into a darker chapter than we’ve seen before.
“We’ve always had the scourge of meth, but this very pure crystal form of the drug has been mainly imported,” Detective Andrew Massingham, detective for the Brisbane Regional Crime Coordinator, told the Courier Mail at the time.
A 38-year-old Albion man was charged with 12 offenses related to the raids, including trafficking dangerous drugs.