Qld police recruit real estate agents to help track down backyard drug labs

Updated

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Qld Police recruit real estate agents (ABC News)

Queensland police are recruiting real estate agents to help them find and dismantle clandestine drug laboratories.

A training program has been established to teach rental property managers how to spot illegal activity and potentially collect evidence during inspections.

The strategy appears to be having some early success.

Detective Senior Sergeant Geoff Marsh from the Brisbane drug squad says investigators have uncovered a record number of backyard drug labs this year in Queensland alone.

"They've been of great assistance to us," he said.

"We show them what to look for and they ring us."

An increasing number of small-scale drug manufacturers operate from rental properties to avoid having their own homes seized if they are caught by authorities.

Police say real estate agents are in the unique position of being able to inspect those properties and are being encouraged to carry out detective work on their behalf.

"It might be the piece of the jigsaw that we require to execute a search warrant and take the drugs off the streets," Detective Marsh said.

One problem is that tenants are usually given at least seven days' notice of a property inspection, which is more than enough time for them to cover their tracks.

Illicit drug laboratories: telltale signs Police say there are a number of indicators that might suggest a property is home to a clandestine drug laboratory.

The average clandestine drug laboratory is surprisingly small and experts say they can be packed up and hidden away within minutes.

Detective Marsh says real estate agents are being trained to look for individual utensils and ingredients rather than a fully functioning drug lab.

"They might find acid under one sink and a base under another," he said.

"They might find a bit of tubing with two holes coming out of it.

"It might indicate to them that this could be one of those drug labs the police told us about."

Some agents concerned about repercussions

Brisbane property manager Clint Dowdell-Smith says some real estate agents who took part in the training were initially concerned about the consequences of dobbing in their tenants.

"It was certainly a question that was asked in the recent training," he said.

"How safe is the information that we do hand over to the police and how safe are we from repercussions from the tenants?

"We have been assured that any information that we do provide is anonymous and the police do follow through discreetely on that."

Mr Dowdell-Smith says the training is important given the number of stories he hears from colleagues about the discovery of suburban methamphetamine labs.

"It seems to be becoming more prevalent so we certainly needed help from police," he said.

"When you hear the word 'lab' you expect big glass beakers and big set-ups but it certainly can be something that can be packed up into a suitcase and put into a cupboard."

Mr Dowdell-Smith says the training has taught his staff to look for excessive amounts of household chemicals and medicines.

He says they will also be on the lookout for drawn curtains, locked doors and tenants who consistently postpone inspections and use increasingly creative excuses.

Police say prospective tenants can also exhibit warning signs such as offering large sums of cash to secure a lease.

Soaring popularity of drug known as ice

Police say they have already uncovered 350 clandestine drug labs in Queensland this year, compared to a total of 330 last year.

The drug of choice for many manufacturers is crystalline methamphetamine or ice, as demand has been growing in recent years.

The rise in demand is also reflected in the number of drug seizures on Australia's borders.

The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service's annual report shows there were 1,084 detections of ice in the 2012-13 financial year.

That compares with 171 in 2011-12 and 160 in 2010-11.

A recent survey of drug users in Queensland found 52 per cent said the drug was very easy to obtain, while 42 per cent said it was easy to obtain.

Queensland Health says the number of people presenting to hospital emergency departments suffering methamphetamine poisoning has risen from 266 in 2009 to 458 so far this year.

Topics: drug-offences, housing-industry, small-business, police, brisbane-4000

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