Sydney back to being Australia’s cocaine capital as wastewater testing reveals drug use locations
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A shocking report has revealed Sydney has reclaimed its title as Australia’s cocaine capital after Covid lockdowns saw the city’s drug scene temporarily lull.
The National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) found an average of 910mg of cocaine is consumed every day by every one in 1,000 Sydneysiders, the highest amount in the country.
The data is supported by a recent jump in drug-related arrests.
Wastewater testing found Sydney residents are Australia’s biggest cocaine users with 910mg consumed every day per 1,000 people
The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research found a post-Covid record of 275 people were arrested statewide for cocaine possession in December 2021.
The majority of Sydney’s cocaine-related arrests were made in the city’s CBD and eastern suburbs with Randwick and Waverley taking the bulk of the arrests.
CEO of ACIC Michael Phelan said the uptick of drugs detected in wastewater could be a result of drug syndicates recovering money lost during Covid lockdowns.
Data found Sydney, Canberra, Perth and Brisbane residents consume an average of 1,600 drinks per 1,000 daily
‘Organised crime groups have redoubled their efforts to supply the major illicit drug markets as Covid restrictions eased, generating significant illicit revenue, but they continue to face challenges, not least from law enforcement agencies,’ he said.
‘Our report helps address harmful drug consumption through improving knowledge about these influences so that tailored supply, demand and harm reduction efforts can be developed and implemented by decision makers on a range of drug and public health issues.’
The National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program published its 16th report last month, which outlined where drugs are most active in Australia from December 2021 to February 2022.
In late July a massive drug bust found a Columbian cocaine ring was operating out of a regional Queensland town (pictured, one of the men involved being arrested by police)
Wastewater results found NSW was also host to the largest regional population of cocaine users with an average of 550mg consumed everyday.
High cocaine usage was also detected in Melbourne and Hobart.
While Queensland’s wastewater did not show high results for cocaine, Brisbane was found to be the country’s top MDMA consumer.
Data shows an average of an 470mg of MDMA is consumed by 1,000 Brisbane residents every day.
275 people were arrested in NSW for cocaine possession in December 2021 with the majority of Sydney’s arrests focused in the CBD and eastern suburbs (lighter shades show areas with less arrests, darker shows more arrests)
Melbourne and Darwin tied for second place with an average of 190mg consumed by every 1,000 people a day.
The biggest nicotine users were found to be regional Northern Territory residents followed by people in Darwin and Hobart.
Hobart and Darwin also recorded high alcohol consumption with an average 2,600 standard drinks downed by every 1,000 people each day.
Sydney, Canberra, Perth and Brisbane residents were found to be lighter drinkers with an average of 1,600 drinks consumed daily by every 1,000.
Police seized over $1million (above) during a raid related to an alleged Columbian cocaine cartel operating in Australia
Overall, methylamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, heroin and ketamine usage was higher in capital cities while alcohol, nicotine, MDA, oxycodone, fentanyl and cannabis consumption was higher in regional communities.
Australia was found to have the highest methylamphetamine consumption out of 25 countries and the sixth highest cannabis usage out of 16 countries.
The National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program uses data from 56 wastewater facilities nationwide, covering 56 per cent of the population.
Sydney hairdresser Amy Hazouri (above) was killed last Saturday during an assassination against her client, former gang wife Lamet Fadlallah
NSW and Queensland are the most monitored states with 11 recording facilities each while the Northern Territory only uses two and the ACT has one.
The rise in drug usage and crime has seen a number of arrests and raids this year.
On Thursday police arrested three men after discovering almost 750kg of methylamphetamine with an estimated street value of $675 million.
The drugs were found in 24 sea shipping containers in Port Botany on July 27.
A raid in Port Botany in late July uncovered 750kg of methylamphetamine (above) in the busy Sydney port
Police allege the men are part of a syndicate bringing illicit drugs into Sydney.
Photos showed police escorting the men aged 34, 26 and 24 with one man pictured wearing an Oodie.
Federal police also busted an alleged branch of a Columbian drug cartel in late July which was being run out of a sleepy town in southeast Queensland.
On Thursday police arrested three men after discovering almost 750kg of methylamphetamine (pictured, the arrests of one of the men who is seen wearing an Oodie)
The bust saw a total of nine people arrested, including two Columbian nationals, for the creation of a ‘cocaine school’ in Durong.
Sydney’s organised crime underworld has recently burst into a flurry of revenge killings as more people try to dip their hand in the lucrative drug industry.
Last Saturday an innocent hairdresser, Amy Hazouri, was killed in the assassination against former gang wife Lamet Fadlallah.
The two women were killed while sitting in a Toyota 4WD outside Ms Fadlallah’s Revesby home.