26 September 2023

Drug busts achieve high returns

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The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) has released a report showing that large seizures of methylamphetamine have had a demonstrable impact on consumption of the drug in Australia.

ACIC’s Methylamphetamine Supply Reduction — Measures of Effectiveness is the first time the Commission has overlaid consumption data derived from the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program (NWDMP) with other illicit drug indicator data.

Chief Executive of ACIC, Michael Phelan said comparing the datasets allowed a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between supply and consumption within the Australian methylamphetamine market.

“Available data demonstrate the onset of any decrease in consumption following a significant seizure is not immediate,” Mr Phelan said.

“It takes between one and three months to take effect and usually lasts between two and four months,” Mr Phelan said.

“The market for methylamphetamine in Australia is robust and resilient, with data from our NWDMP indicating methylamphetamine consumption vastly exceeds that of cocaine, heroin and MDMA.”

He said the report showed a pattern of declining capital city methylamphetamine consumption following one or more significant seizures.

“This indicates law enforcement is having a direct impact on the market,” he said.

“Supply reduction is most effective at a national level when directed towards disrupting the wholesale methylamphetamine market given large individual seizures have a greater impact on consumption than multiple smaller seizures,” Mr Phelan said.

“However, domestic production of methylamphetamine in clandestine laboratories remains a critical factor which contributes to the resilience of Australia’s market and remains a major concern for law enforcement agencies,” he said.

ACIC’s new 16-page report can be accessed at this PS News link.

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