‘Homebake’ labs still being set up in ChCh

Press, 5 December 1985, Page 9

‘Homebake’ labs still being set up in ChCh

Detectives have uncovered evidence that a number of clandestine laboratories are producing “homebake” morphine and heroin in Christchurch. The head of the Christchurch police drug squad, Detective Senior-Sergeant Paul Johnstone, said yesterday that detectives were working hard to counter the problem. So far this year about 10 such laboratories have been found by the police in Christchurch. indications are, however, that more laboratories have been set up and are now processing. Detective Senior-Sergeant Johnstone had received information that more “homebake” heroin and morphine had become available. More addicts were seeking treatment for addiction, while sales and thefts of codeine-based painkillers had increased. The codeine extracted from the painkillers can be converted to morphine. Misuse of opium poppies

has again become a, problem in Christchurch, according to Detective Senior-Ser-geant Johnstone. He advised persons growing the Papaver somniferum poppy to pull them out of the garden before the plants became a target for thieves.

The plant flowers in early summer and it is a relatively simple procedure for addicts to refine morphine from its buds.

The poppy sought by addicts has dull green leaves which are purple to pink. They are relatively common and often self-sown. Other varieties of poppy are not a source of opium.

Detective Senior-Sergeant Johnstone said that it was an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act to grow the poppies for opium production.

It was up to the grower to prove that the poppies had not been grown for an illegal purpose, he said.

The police have recently made several seizings of the plants in Christchurch, including a haul of 100 on Tuesday. Detective Senior-Sergeant Johnstone said that the police had heard that a number of persons were being treated for opium addiction as a result of poppy abuse.

The poppies had become popular with addicts because it was relatively inexpensive to obtain the opium. In addition, imported heroin was scarce because of a continued crack-down by the authorities on supplies of the drug. Detective Senior-Sergeant Johnstone said that the police had also made “one or two” small seizings of cocaine in Christchurch this year. The police, however, believed that there was not enough of the drug available to have a “significant impact” in Christchurch, he said.