R270 million ice seized

[xtermin8or]

By Alex Eliseev

The Scorpions have dealt the drug trade a massive blow - seizing R270-million worth of a narcotic called ice.

The police's elite task force, members of an anti-organised crime unit and the SA Revenue Service (Sars) on Monday pounced on a farm near Hartbeespoort Dam and arrested five men.

Police say the property was being used as a drug laboratory to mass-produce ice - a methamphetamine stimulant, the effects of which are similar to cocaine - outside Brits in North West.

'No doubt this was a syndicate'
Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Pieter du Plessis said the farm had been monitored since the beginning of the month and the teams hit at about 8am on Monday.

The five men were caught off guard and did not resist arrest.




"The suspects are still being interrogated and will appear in court in Brits on Thursday," Du Plessis said.

"We seized ice in liquid, powder and crystal form, with a street value of R270-million."

He said there was no doubt this was a syndicate.

Du Plessis could not say how much of the drug was seized, as it was still being weighed and analysed, and would not reveal the exact location of the farm.

He said the police expected to make more arrests.

"We are also investigating whether the ice was sold locally or exported."

Last year the Scorpions intercepted a shipment of compressed cannabis and hashish with a street value of over R200-million.

The bust led to the impending trial of businessman Glenn "The Landlord" Agliotti and his alleged right-hand man Stepha-nos Paparas.

Agliotti has also been charged with last year's murder of mining tycoon Brett Kebble.

While granting a plea bargain to three men arrested in connection with the drug syndicate, the Scorpions said: "The State considers that this syndicate has not only been involved in the illegal smuggling of hashish and cannabis, but in other types of contraband including … drugs such as cocaine and ice."

Police would on Monday not confirm any links between the arrests and Agliotti's alleged international syndicate.

Sars spokesperson Adrian Lackay, meanwhile, said the bust was an important breakthrough.

"Indications are that the facility was used over a period of time," he said yesterday.

"It's a significant disruption to the illegal production of narcotics."

Lackay said that leads would be followed up to determine how the chemicals had entered South Africa and where - and how they were going to be sold.

North West safety MEC Jerry Thibedi was quick to congratulate the police and Sars on the bust.

"This is the biggest bust yet in North West and one of the biggest in the country," he said on Monday.

"The operation has delivered a killer blow to drug syndicates who seem to be hell-bent on destroying our youth."

Thibedi said there must be no room for drug dealers and manufacturers to hide. "No matter how remote a place they choose for their criminal acts, they will be found and flushed out," he said.

The five men three South Africans and two Zimbaweans have since appeared in court and will be back on the 31st of this month

 

[Syndyre]

Nice catch.

 

[air]

gr8 work! street value of R270M, would be nice to see what the "cost price" is, damn good margins no doubt, would have some of our retailers jealous, unless the retailers bought their goods from China...

 

[nthdimension]

That should slow down the trade. For about five minutes.

 

[Fudzy]

Whats the difference between ice & tik?

 

[telkomsuig]

Whats the difference between ice & tik?

Difference chemical family. Tik is an amphetamine derrivative and ICE by the sounds of it is an Ecstacy derrivative think they used to call it liquid E or something. Don't bash me if I am wrong though

The thing with these drugs is the pre curser chemicals used are cheap and in most cases readily available so the manufacturers are making a huge profit.

 

[USZA]

gr8 work! street value of R270M, would be nice to see what the "cost price" is, damn good margins no doubt, would have some of our retailers jealous, unless the retailers bought their goods from China...

You could do well to be their accountant

 

[Syndyre]

The thing with these drugs is the pre curser chemicals used are cheap and in most cases readily available so the manufacturers are making a huge profit.

Surprised the druggies don't start making it themselves.

 

[Natas]

Whats the difference between ice & tik?

Ice and tik are almost exaclty the same. they are both methamphetamine based. When you get reports from local police they dont alwyasknow what they are talking about.

It would seem that locally the term "tik" is used interchangably in repsect of a methamphetamine salt, such as a cholride or sulphate. However, from what I have read, I have reason to believe that at least some of the tik is infact Methacathanone, also refered to as Kat or Krank.....

Well purified speed has a completely clear colour forming small crystals and can be said to look like Ice. Most dealers however rarely purify their product as well as what they could. this can be a problem if for instnace during teh reaction phase in making Methamphetamine CHrloride, excess chlorine is left in the drug. Have you ever tried snorting chlorine?

However, "Ice" in the true sense of the word and in the international context is used to describe a liquid methamphatamine drug, where a liquid form methamphetamine is mixed with additional ephadrine, which is a precursor to Methamphetamine. This was very popular in Japan in the 80's. It is rumoured that dipping a carkey in some ice and licking it off would keep you awake for three days. Ofcourse in drug lingo however, sometimes terms are used in relation to a wide variety of things.

IMO it is mostly likely that the TIK we see on the streets here is Methcathinone. The homebrewing method often described is characteristic of Methcathinone production as methcathinone can be produced using freely available household items. Meth, speed production on the other hand is a little more complicated and requires precursors such as ephadrine, which is a schedule 4 drug..

the avergae cost of production of Methcathinone is about R25/gram..many dealers sometimes sell cat as a cocaine substitute at R300/gram

IMO methamphetamines are probably one of the worst family of drugs to be addicted to. The positive and Negative reinformcements associated with them are hectic. The negatives are hwoever particularly horendous. When using speed/Methcahtinone, your brain picks up the drug as adrenalin. Your brain then stops natuarally producing adrenalin because there is already an over concentration. When you go off the drug you brain very slowly starts producing adrenalin. Amongst other things, adrenalin keeps you awake. Recovering speed addicts often CANNOT say awake and sleep for up to 20 hours a day, slowly trying to add to their waking hours. It takes about 2 years from going cold turket to be able to stay awake a full day.

 

[Fudzy]

Surprised the druggies don't start making it themselves.

The craving shakes + explosive chemicals aren't a good combination I guess

 

[Syndyre]

The craving shakes + explosive chemicals aren't a good combination I guess

LOL true

 

[noxibox]

Whats the difference between ice & tik?

There is none. Crystal meth, ice, tik, crank, they're all the same drug - methamphetamine. Ecstasy is a street name for MDMA which is a chemical that is built on the methamphetamine molecule, but has totally different effects. Just like ordinary salt contains sodium and chlorine, but is different to both.

 

[froggytoo]

This is when I start to believe in the implementation of sharia law (Muslims)

 

[noxibox]

It is rumoured that dipping a carkey in some ice and licking it off would keep you awake for three days.

Nonsense obviously. Dissolving methamphetamine in water and adding a mild stimulant like ephedrine is not going suddenly increase its duration from 8 to 72 hours.

Meth, speed production on the other hand is a little more complicated and requires precursors such as ephadrine, which is a schedule 4 drug.

Control of the chemicals needed has been directly responsible for the decline in home production and the massive rise in professional manufacture. The same occurred in the US years ago. Organised criminals can easily acquire watched chemicals.

It is however a relatively simple chemical, there are multiple known synthesis paths and there will always be a way for those with access to equipment to produce as much as they want. Methamphetamine production has never responded suppression attempts by the government.

When you go off the drug you brain very slowly starts producing adrenalin. Amongst other things, adrenalin keeps you awake. Recovering speed addicts often CANNOT say awake and sleep for up to 20 hours a day, slowly trying to add to their waking hours. It takes about 2 years from going cold turket to be able to stay awake a full day.

Where did you hear this?

IMO it is mostly likely that the TIK we see on the streets here is Methcathinone.

Methcathinone is also a very short-acting drug. This could explain the extremely compulsive use seen in the Cape area. Short-acting drugs are usually worse because the user develops the habit of using the drug often. Nicotine is one.

 

[nthdimension]

This is when I start to believe in the implementation of sharia law (Muslims)

You mean murdering people because you don't like their lifestyle? I'd be happy to kill anyone trying to impose the police state seen in backward Islamic countries.

 

[Natas]

@ Noxibox: Read the adrenalin thing in my drugs dictionary....

Re my point Ephadrine being a shedule 4 drug, I know that spped cookers can get controlled substances...I could order a kilogram of ephadrine frmo Mexico if I wanted...I could also go from chemist to chemist and buy as many decongestants, such as sudafed,or thins which you can buy at the corner cafe(those contain pseudo-ephadrine tho') as I could...the point is its harder to get your hands on something like that for home cooking for some one like, than it is to go down to pick n pay and buy some Vim, etc....also cooking speed requires titration, a process that a druggie wouldnt be bothered to learn, or waste time with. changing the ph of a liquid can be a pain in the ass. Making tik on the other hand is relatively simply and can be done in a bath. Personally however I see no point in non-hallucinogenic drugs...one learns nothign fmo them.

 

[telkomsuig]

Thanks Natas good info.... seems you are out local Erowind Knowledge Vault

 

[Natas]

You can also get methcathinone from Catha Edulis, its that plant that they chew in certain african countries. It grow to a certain degree in aroudn Knysna and also a little north of greyhamstown.

A Telkom: Used to go there a lot..butnot so much anymore...sued to use lyceaum.org more tho;...pretty good site with lots of enthnobotanical info....I went through a stage....still like my LSD tho'

 

[noxibox]

Read the adrenalin thing in my drugs dictionary....

Where did you get that it takes 2 years to be able to stay awake for a day?

Personally however I see no point in non-hallucinogenic drugs...one learns nothign fmo them.

People ingest caffeine for energy, so no reason they would not seek out better stimulants like ephedrine or even d-amphetamine. Used responsibly standard d-amphetamine (dexedrine) was a very useful stimulant, and not abused nearly as much as the hype claimed. There are also now cleaner alertness drugs like adrafinil and modafinil on the market. The same company has been refining the process to produce a drug superior to modafinil. The US airforce was testing modafinil as an alternative to amphetamine.

Drug laws have pushed out the safer stimulants, so today we have methcathinone, crack (freebase) cocaine and d-methamphetamine on our streets.

 

[Natas]

Where did you get that it takes 2 years to be able to stay awake for a day?

In my Ultiamte Guide to Street Drugs..its one users account....can take a while, 2 years would be an extreme case. Speed is similar in chemical structure to adrenali. And as I said, your brain starrts to produce less and less adrenalin and in exrteme circumstances can cease production altogether. If you stop using the drugs, your brain does not start producing the neurotransmitter again at capacity. Adrenalin is, amongst other things, responsible for keeping the brain alert. If your brain lacks adrenalin then you cannot stay awake. It takes a long time for your brain to produce adrenalin at the required level and in extreme cases can take up to two years before a tweaker can stay awake.

I have a friend who used to be a speed junky. he used to smoke it out of lightbulbs...says its awesome..it might be but that that stuff carrodes your lungs faster than you can say froinlavenchoil.