WA: Husband, wife arrested over ice laboratory bust

AAP General News (Australia)
12-06-2001
WA: Husband, wife arrested over ice laboratory bust

PERTH, Dec 6 AAP - Police have arrested a husband and wife after discovering enough
ingredients to make a kilogram of the illicit drug ice in a Perth house.

The pair were under surveillance for some time before police discovered what they described
today as Perth's biggest illicit drugs laboratory, in a rental house at beachside Sorrento.

Detective Senior Sergeant Jim Cave said officers would allege they found several ounces
of crystal methylamphetamine and a large quantity of liquid methylamphetamine at the laboratory.

Det Snr Sgt Cave said the ingredients would have made a kilogram of the potentially
lethal drug "ice".

"This is the biggest seizure to date in Western Australia," he told reporters.

"A preliminary assessment by the chemist estimated that in excess of one kilo of crystal
methylamphetamine would be realised from the liquid crystal methylamphetamine - and that
is commonly known as ice."

Sen Sgt Cave said ice laboratories were relatively new in WA as the drug was previously
imported from the east.

"Obviously it's now more prevalent because of the heroin problems and (because of)
the decreasing availability of heroin on the streets people are going to ice," he said.

A 41-year-old man was due to appear in Perth Magistrate's Court today charged with
possession of amphetamine with intent to sell or supply and with the drug's manufacture.

His 28-year-old wife was charged with possession of amphetamine with intent to sell or supply.

AAP lk/sd/ph/sb

KEYWORD: SORRENTO

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.