Police prevent drug fraud

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32838, 11 February 1972, Page 2

Police prevent drug fraud

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Feb. 10. Auckland drug squad detectives have seized several hundred thousand imitation LSD tablets—and stopped a plan which they consider had been instigated to defraud drug users.

A small carton containing the “tablets,” which filled two large plastic bags, was confiscated in a raid on a

North Shore flat last month. Seven cans of red and green dye, which match the colour of the “traffic light’’ LSD tablets circulating in Auckland, were also seized by detectives. In bright light, the “tablets” could scarcely be mistaken for the real thing. They are merely small lumps—about the same’ size as “traffic lights”—of a hard substance, coated with the red or green dye. Any person who had had previous experience with LSD would be unlikely to ac-

cept the "tablets” as genuine. But the police believe that the people who made the "tablets” would have camouflaged them with the real thing before making a sale. The police consider it likely that a prospective customer wanting, say, 1000 tablets would get perhaps only 200, sprinkled over the imitation tablets.

Such a deal would provide a big profit to the supplier. On ruling prices, he could expect about $3 a tablet for a bulk order of 1000 tablets. This would represent

a $3OOO payout for narcotics worth, on the black market, only $6OO. The police have no idea how many, if any, drug users have been taken in with the imitation tablets.

"Obviously any person who has paid good money for fake LSD is not going to come running to us pointing out the fact,” said Detective Sergeant B. J. Stewart, head of the drug squad, today. "But the haul was obviously going to be used, or has been used, to defraud Auckland drug users.”