Four men are accused of running one of the biggest methamphetamine labs in SA
Four alleged drug dealers are accused of running one of the biggest meth labs uncovered in SA, capable of producing 90,000 street hits a week.
Police & Courts
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Four men are accused of running one of the biggest drug labs in South Australia, capable of producing 120kg of methamphetamine a week.
Angus James Spurling, 22, Blake Matthew Culbertson, 22, Dylan Stuart, 23, and Matthew William Collins, 43, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday over a “high-level syndicate” they were allegedly running.
“This is one of the largest methamphetamine clandestine labs uncovered in South Australia in recent times,” a police prosecutor told the court.
Officers from SAPOL’s Drug and Organised Crime Task Force, in collaboration with the Australian Federal Police uncovered the drug lab on August 18.
About $4m worth of methamphetamine oil – awaiting the final stage of production to be crystallised – was uncovered.
At the time of the discovery, Detective Superintendent Stephen Taylor, officer in charge of Serious and Organised Crime Branch said the 10L of high-grade methamphetamine oil seized at the property could have been cooked to produce at least 10kg of ice with potent purity.
“This is most certainly not a backyard (cook house),” he said. “This is a high-level syndicate. This particular lab would have a yield value of close to 120kg per week.
“This would equate to about 90,000 street doses.”
Collins, who was living at the Morphett Vale home was arrested. A storage shed at Panorama was then searched on August 19.
“(Police) found a large quantity of clandestine drug laboratory equipment. It’s large-scale and commercial in size,” Mr Taylor said at the time.
Detectives raided a Clovelly Park home a short time later and arrested Culbertson.
Officers also searched a Mitchell Park home and arrested Stuart where they allegedly found numerous controlled substances packaged in a way for sale.
All four men are charged with manufacturing a large commercial quantity of drugs.
Collins, of Happy Valley, has pleaded guilty to the charge while the other three men are yet to enter pleas.
In the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday, a police prosecutor asked for a 12-week adjournment for the analysis of phone, business and banking records.
Magistrate Simon Smart granted the adjournment until August.
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