‘It’s going to annihilate them’: Australian Federal Police Association boss issues bleak fentanyl warning

A potent drug that is tearing lives apart in the United States could very soon “annihilate” Australian communities too, experts warn.

A potent drug that is ravaging the United States could soon “annihilate” Australian communities too, an expert has said.

Since 2019, the Australian Federal Police has been instrumental in preventing 29 kilograms and an estimated 5.5 million lethal doses of fentanyl from hitting Australian streets.

However, decorated AFP member and head of the Australian Federal Police Association, Alex Caruana, says the threat of such hauls slipping through the cracks is perilously real.

He says domestic and international crime syndicates are watching Australia’s policing closely.

“While 30kg doesn’t seem like a lot, that’s a lot of lethal doses out there that could have killed a lot of Australians,” he told news.com.au.

“If it was made in a backyard or a shoddy shed, that figure of lethal doses is likely to increase significantly.”

Mr Caruana said policing a Schedule 8 drug (pharmaceutical) presents nuanced challenges which outright illicit drugs don’t, though the focus remains on cutting off supply lines before either even hit Australian shores.

Alex Caruana warns of a genuine threat of critical drug shipments slipping past security measures. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

“We invest in disrupting these crimes before it gets to the country … once it gets to the country then, we’re putting a larger number of Australians at risk,” he said.

Not only is the potent opioid dangerous for those who seek to use it, it can be deadly for the countless customs and police officers who ultimately deal with it at the borders.

“It’s well known that when fentanyl powder becomes airborne, people react to it differently,” Mr Caruana explained.

“So you might only need to inhale a very small amount, I’m talking much less than a gram, for it to be lethal for you.”

A startling claim, however, is that the threat of illegal fentanyl entering the country isn’t borne just from the criminals moving it, but also from the allocation of police funding and resources domestically.

“So the AFP are investing a lot of time and resources overseas to disrupt the crime at the source,” Mr Caruana explained.

“But without the correct funding, without the appropriate resources, we obviously can’t do that.”

The AFP is the lowest paid police force in Australia with the largest jurisdiction, Mr Caruana claims, with a campaign now underway to increase the forces’ base salary to be the second most paid forces in Australia – either through a significant pay rise, increased super and/or greater leave entitlements.

It’s claimed aggressive recruitment and remuneration offers from police forces in states like Queensland has recently seen the AFP haemorrhage staff.

According to Mr Caruana, lawbreakers both domestically and abroad are closely monitoring attrition rates and staff and resource shortages within the AFP.

Since 2019, the AFP has played a pivotal role in averting an estimated 5.5 million lethal fentanyl doses from infiltrating Australian streets, illustrating its determination to safeguard the nation. Picture: AFP

“We do know that organised crime and criminals do have very sharp ears and they do have good sources of intel,” Caruana revealed.

“They know when there’s (industrial action), and when they know that we are stretched – of course they’re going to exploit it. That’s exactly what they do. They find weaknesses and exploit them.”

“They are the scum of the earth, and they will exploit those weaknesses – that’s what these crooks do – of course, they’re paying attention to this.”

Well-versed on the flow of drugs into Australia, Mr Caruana said fentanyl and other pharmaceuticals like Ritalin and codeine also make up a small elicit market, which is difficult to police.

“While it is a concern, it’s of a lesser concern. Those pharmaceuticals are manufactured in a much safer situation under safer controls and measures,” he said.

It’s the illegal fentanyl, however, which could devastate the nation.

in 2022, 28kg (11kg pure) of fentanyl was seized in a single attempted import into Melbourne, which triggered Operation AILSACE. Picture: AFP via NCA NewsWire

“In places like Wagga and Dubbo where we can see what ice is doing to the organisation, we can see these pharmaceuticals are also a problem,” Mr Caruana explained.

“If non-pharmaceutical fentanyl gets into those rural areas, it’s going to annihilate them. There’s already a scourge there with the ice, and it’s really going to make an impact.

“The cost to the Australian is going to be significant because we’re going to have to fork out money to prop up rural Australia.”

The AFP did not directly address the resourcing concerns of Mr Caruana but said: “The AFP, together with our state, Commonwealth and international partners, is closely monitoring the threat of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids to Australian communities.”

“The AFP is aware of the risk that the deadly opioid fentanyl poses to communities, however in Australia, there have been only a small number of detections to date,” a spokesperson added.

“The AFP is aware of the serious risk fentanyl and other illicit drugs pose to our community, and we are keeping a careful watch on the situation both here and offshore.”

“The AFP is in regular contact with health authorities to monitor and determine the risk and threat of fentanyl and other illicit drugs in Australia.”

The AFP and fentanyl

The AFP has so far stood as the stalwart guardian against the incursion of fentanyl that has wreaked havoc in other parts of the world.

Operating in conjunction with a network of partner agencies, both domestically and internationally, the AFP leads in preventing the importation of numerous dangerous substances, particularly fentanyl, into the country.

Under Australian law, importing any drug, including fentanyl, constitutes a federal offence, bearing the weighty penalties of 10 years to life imprisonment and fines reaching a staggering $825,000.

Concerns have arisen over potential devastation as domestic and international crime syndicates capitalise on AFP staffing vulnerabilities.

The AFP assumes a role as the Australian Government’s primary enforcer in identifying and prosecuting individuals attempting to smuggle border-controlled drugs, bolstered by its collaboration with the Australian Border Force in the interception of significant border-controlled precursors.

A cornerstone of the AFP’s strategy lies in its collaboration with foreign law enforcement entities, a synergy facilitated through its International Liaison Officer Network.

A compelling illustration of the AFP’s success was seen in Operation AILSACE, a recent effort that prevented over 5 million 2mg doses of fentanyl hitting Australian streets.

What is fentanyl?

In recent years, the abuse of opioids has become a significant public health concern.

One of the most potent opioids is fentanyl, which is about 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine.

Fentanyl is prescribed for chronic pain, severe cancer pain, nerve damage, back injury, major trauma, and surgery.

The Alcohol and Drug Foundation reports that from 2001 to 2021, there were 833 deaths in Australia related to fentanyl.

Pharmaceutical fentanyl was the cause of 93 per cent of these deaths, while four per cent were attributed to illicitly produced fentanyl, and three per cent were due to illicitly-altered fentanyl (analogs).

Fentanyl is available in many forms, including transdermal patches, lozenges/lollipops, and intravenous injection.

Pharmaceutical fentanyl is used for managing acute or chronic pain, but illicit fentanyl can be manufactured for use in the illegal drug market.

Illegally, it is generally in the form of a powder, dropped on blotter paper like small candies, in eye droppers or nasal sprays, or made into pills that look like actual prescription opioids.

This is very risky as it is tough to judge a dose size.

Fentanyl can be “diverted”, meaning that when a medical professional prescribes the medication, it’s not used as directed or is given or sold to a third party.

Illicitly manufactured fentanyl can be a stand-alone product, a low-cost additive to increase the potency of other illicit drugs such as heroin, or sold as counterfeit medicines such as oxycodone.

Fentanyl, an opioid 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine, has garnered significant concern due to its potential to devastate Australian communities.

The effects of fentanyl can vary from person to person and include euphoria, nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhoea, reduced appetite, drowsiness, confusion, weakness or fatigue, incoherent or slurred speech, impaired balance and lowered blood pressure.

Regular use of fentanyl can cause mood instability, reduced libido, constipation, menstrual problems, and respiratory impairment.

Using fentanyl regularly can lead to dependence issues and a build-up of tolerance, which means you need to take significantly larger amounts to get the same effect.

Giving up fentanyl after prolonged use is challenging because the body has to get used to functioning without it.

Withdrawal symptoms usually start within 12 hours after the last dose and can last for about a week.

Goosebumps often characterise the withdrawal, as well as bouts of chills and flushing with excessive sweating, irritability, insomnia, loss of appetite, yawning and sneezing, watery eyes and runny nose, vomiting and nausea, diarrhoea, increased heart rate and blood pressure, pains in the bones and muscle, general weakness, and depression.

In Australia, fentanyl is a Schedule 8 drug, meaning it has a recognised therapeutic need and a higher risk of misuse, abuse and dependence.

Rise in ‘unintentional use’

A recent study conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology in 2020 has raised concerns about a potential increase in unintentional use of opioids, specifically fentanyl, among certain populations.

The study’s findings highlighted a significant discrepancy between reported fentanyl use and urinalysis results, suggesting a possible unwitting consumption of the potent opioid.

According to the study which canvassed people detained at selected police stations and watch houses in Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney, three per cent of detainees who were tested showed positive results for fentanyl or its metabolite norfentanyl.

None of the subjects who tested positive for fentanyl reported ever knowingly using the substance.

The potential impact of airborne fentanyl poses a risk not only to those who consume it but also to customs and police officers tasked with its handling at borders. Picture: Australian Federal Police

This puzzling finding was further underscored by the fact that some detainees also tested positive for a highly potent and rarely reported fentanyl analog known as B-hydroxyfentanyl.

The authors of the study expressed concern over these findings, stating, “The discrepancy between urinalysis results and reported use may reflect unwitting use of fentanyl and possible fentanyl contamination of other illicit drugs.”

The study’s interpretation is supported by additional data indicating around three per cent of detainees had used drugs that were either mixed or laced with fentanyl.

Similar evidence from separate unpublished studies in Melbourne (2019) and Sydney (2020) further bolsters the case for unintended fentanyl use.

Prior to this study, the only published instance of possible fentanyl contamination in Australia was linked to a series of overdose deaths in Melbourne in 2015.

The study also shed light on the simultaneous use of fentanyl and methamphetamine among detainees.

The authors noted, “The overlap between fentanyl and methamphetamine use may suggest detainees are using fentanyl to ease the symptoms of methamphetamine withdrawal.”

This behaviour, often referred to as “speedballing”, involves combining an opioid with a stimulant to achieve an intensified high.

The ‘American tragedy’ and a new menace

This month, disturbing video footage from the US depicting an emaciated young woman, her body covered in sores, sparking a wave of concern across the nation.

The haunting visuals capture the essence of what some are terming an “American tragedy,” shedding light on the dire circumstances faced by individuals caught in the grip of a fentanyl crisis.

Sandi, a homeless woman with fentanyl dependency was recently interviewed in Kensington, Philadelphia. Picture: AML Films/TikTok

The video introduces Sandi, a homeless woman with fentanyl dependency, who agreed to share her story with AML Films amid the gritty backdrop of Philadelphia’s notorious Kensington neighbourhood.

@maloutthere Empowering a Talented Woman in Kensington #awareness♬ original sound - AMLFILMS

With a gaping injection wound on her shoulder, she sings, “I don’t think you’re ready for this headache, I don’t think you’re ready for this headache, I don’t think you’re ready for this ‘cos my high is too crackalicious for you babe.”

Images from the fentanyl, opioid crisis in Philadelphia. Picture: SBC News/YouTube

Users in Kensington, Philadelphia were likened to ‘zombies’. Picture: Telemedellin/TikTok

The footage joins a string of disturbing videos from Kensington, where streets teem with drug users in various states of distress, openly engaging in drug use and dealing.

This is part of the grim portrait painted by new data from the US Centers for Disease Control, which suggested fentanyl played a significant role in over 100,000 overdose deaths in 2022.

Described as the “single greatest challenge we face as a country” by US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the fentanyl crisis has caused devastation.

The crisis has reached a scale that resulted in the sharpest decline in US life expectancy in over a century, driven in part by opioid overdoses.

According the Washington Post, fentanyl now causes more deaths than car accidents, suicides, guns or falls for those between the ages of 18 and 49.

The United States has been hit hard by the drug. Picture: SBC News/YouTube

A new and horrific threat has also emerged as authorities grapple with fentanyl’s deadly grip.

A flesh-eating “zombie” drug named “tranq,” which is a potent horse tranquilliser, has begun infiltrating the drug supply.

This drug, often mixed with fentanyl and heroin, has raised alarms across the nation.

Even the White House has recognised it as an “emerging threat.”

Philadelphia, already grappling with the fentanyl crisis, finds itself disproportionately affected by this new menace.

Officials from the Philadelphia Department of Health and the Board of Health have expressed concern over increased overdose deaths and severe wounds caused by this drug.

The origins of this crisis trace back to a complex network, as criminal groups source chemicals from China to produce fentanyl in Mexico before smuggling it into the United States.

In response, the Biden administration released its 2022 National Drug Control Strategy, aiming for a 13 per cent reduction in overdose deaths. The strategy emphasises expanded access to treatment, harm-reduction interventions, and efforts to kerb drug trafficking.

Originally published as ‘It’s going to annihilate them’: Australian Federal Police Association boss issues bleak fentanyl warning