Cops bust massive drug lab used to make Defqon. 1 deadly pills
THIS is the filthy shed in Sydney’s south west where police believe the deadly pills sold at Defqon. 1 were manufactured. It was so big and sophisticated it took officers four days to dismantle. EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: GO INSIDE THE DRUG LAB.
NSW
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THIS is the giant drug factory in a filthy shed that has been supplying the state’s music festivals — and is suspected to be responsible for the pills that caused mass overdoses and deaths at Defqon. 1
Forensic testing over the coming weeks will confirm whether the dirty equipment inside one of the biggest MDMA labs ever found in NSW made the pills that killed two partygoers and hospitalised scores of others at the Penrith rave.
But, while testing continues on the seized pills, The Sunday Telegraph understands they share the same triangle stamp as ones found on dealers and users at Defqon. 1
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A similarly-stamped tablet was also found with one of two young people who died after taking a cocktail of drugs at the event.
The sophisticated — but revolting — massive backyard laboratory was found inside a large shed on Sydney’s southwest fringes on October 24 and police claim it was being used as a wholesale pill factory by a variety of gangs.
The well-established lab took four days to dismantle and was producing large amounts of MDMA for the summer festival season.
Joseph Pham, 23, and a 21-year-old woman from Melbourne died within minutes of each other after collapsing at the festival on September 15.
Dozens of other people were hospitalised, including two rushed to the intensive care unit, while hundreds were treated at the site.
“The pills seized at dance parties are not dissimilar to products we found at this lab,” State Crime Command acting Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said.
“The volume of precursors and size of the lab is enough to supply several dance parties.”
The alleged cook of the Mount Hunter operation was charged last week after succumbing to the effects of mass drug production and ending up in hospital.
Bennett Jolly, 39, has associations with a number of bikie gangs, police allege, and appeared in Campbelltown Local Court on Friday on drug manufacture charges.
“We believe this lab, like other labs of this kind, was producing for the dance party season,” Mr Smith said.
“We are in the middle of the festival period and we are seeking to make the warning clear to young people who think that the risk of taking one tablet is not that bad.
“The people that manufacture this stuff for profit, they don’t care what happens to you.”
More than 21 kilograms of MDMA powder and pills, 28 litres of GHB and 13.5 kilograms of precursors were found inside the shed.
They had a street value of about $5.2 million.
Pill dies and a large press were also seized as police try to ascertain whether the lab was the source of the mass overdosing at Defqon.
The lab was found on a semirural property at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac on Calf Farm Rd, with neighbours claiming Jolly moved into the property about two years ago.
A Porsche and a boat were also towed from the property during the four-day long raid.
Criminal Groups Squad detectives believe the lab may also have links to another drug operation — where 1.4 kilograms of drugs were found — at Menangle in May 2018.
The recent discoveries serve as an example of the huge spike in clandestine labs in NSW with a 47 per cent increase in detections last financial year.
There have been 80 labs found this year alone, compared to 70 in 2017.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced a suite of measures in the wake of the Defqon. 1 festival, including a new offence for drug dealers whose product causes a death.
However, there are still some recommendations from senior police under consideration.