2013–14 ILLICIT DRUG DATA REPORT

Australian Crime Commission
Illicit Drug Data Report 2013–14
DRUG TYPES AND METHODS OF PRODUCTION
Clandestine laboratories manufacturing ATS (excluding MDMA) continue to represent the
majority (78.9 per cent) of detections by drug production type in Australia. In 2013–14,
methylamphetamine was the main drug produced in detected laboratories (see Table 37).
TABLE 37: Number of clandestine laboratory detections, by drug production type and state and territory,
2013–14
State/
Territory
ATS
(excluding
MDMA)
MDMA
Homebake
heroin
Cannabis
oil
extraction
PSE a
extraction GHB/ GBL
Chemicals/
glassware/
equipment
only b Other c Unknown d Total e
NSW 78 1 0 0 0 1 0 10 8 98
Vic 102 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 9 114
Qld 270 0 3 5 4 6 9 12 55 364
SA 52 1 0 1 1 2 0 4 20 81
WA 92 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 97
Tas 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 5
NT 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11
ACT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 608 3 5 7 6 11 9 29 92 770
a. Pseudoephedrine.
b. The seizure of glassware or equipment only is not categorised as a laboratory detection in some jurisdictions.
c. ‘Other’ refers to the detection of other illicit manufacture.
d. ‘Unknown’ includes seized substances which were unable to be identified or are awaiting analysis.
e. Total may exceed the number of clandestine laboratory detections due to multiple drug production types being identified in a
single laboratory.
The number of national ATS (excluding MDMA) laboratory detections increased, from 544
in 2012–13 to 608 in 2013–14. Since 2000–01, Queensland has accounted for the greatest
proportion of national ATS (excluding MDMA) clandestine laboratory detections, accounting for
44.4 per cent in 2013–14.
The number of MDMA clandestine laboratories detected nationally remains low, with
3 detections in 2013–14. These laboratories were detected in New South Wales, Victoria and
South Australia.
The number of national homebake heroin laboratory detections increased from 1 in 2012–13 to
5 in 2013–14. This reporting period there were 3 detections in Queensland and 2 detections in
Western Australia. Cannabis oil extraction laboratories continue to be detected in low numbers.
In 2013–14, 7 cannabis oil extraction laboratories were detected nationally, 5 in Queensland and
1 each in South Australia and Tasmania.
During this reporting period, 11 clandestine laboratories manufacturing gamma-butyrolactone/
gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB/GBL) were detected nationally, an increase from 4 laboratories
in 2012–13. Queensland reported 6 detections, with Victoria and South Australia both reporting
2 detections, and New South Wales 1 detection. The number of clandestine laboratories detected
nationally extracting pseudoephedrine continued to decrease this reporting period, from 11
in 2012–13 to 6 in 2013–14.
166