Ice dealers offering postal ‘warranty’ on packages, inquiry told

Dark web ice dealers are so confident they can supply through our mail system they are offering users a “warranty” on postal deliveries, a powerful inquiry into the devastating drug has heard.

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Dark web ice dealers are so confident they can supply through our mail system they are offering users a “warranty” on postal deliveries, a powerful inquiry into the devastating drug has heard.

NSW Drug and Firearm Squad boss Detective Chief Inspector Michael Cook told the opening day of the State Government’s Special Commission of Inquiry into the Drug Ice the force was looking at “expanding our capabilities” to intercept drug parcels.

The inquiry is looking into the devastating drug ice. Picture: Tim Pascoe

“The use of the dark web to purchase drugs is effective because many of the suppliers warranty the delivery of the products,” Ch-Insp Cook told the inquiry in Sydney today.

“It’s like an eBay type of system, (they) send feedback to the seller, say the drugs didn’t arrive and they’ll send you another lot.”

He said Western Australia had focused on mail security, breaking this part of the dark web business model.

Detective Chief Inspector Michael Cook said the force was looking at “expanding our capabilities” to intercept drug parcels. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“Because they have been so effective at intercepting drugs in the mail you’ll find dark web suppliers no longer warranty drugs that are going to Western Australia,” Ch-Insp Cook said. The inquiry will hear evidence for the rest of the month on the impact of methamphetamine, or ice, including hearings in Lismore and Nowra which will focus on addiction in rural communities.

Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research acting chief executive Jackie Fitzgerald told the inquiry amphetamine rates, ice in particular, were rising fast in regional NSW.

The Coffs Harbour-Grafton region has seen nearly a 1000 per cent increase in amphetamine possession rates in the decade to 2018.

The Far West-Orana region had the second highest rate statewide behind central Sydney.

“We definitely see support for that premise, that regional areas are being hardest hit by amphetamine use,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

Regional areas have been hit hard by ice.

The numbers showed ice dealers had poor chances of beating the courts once arrested by police, with 96 per cent of commercial dealers charged being convicted.

Amphetamine users overwhelmingly had a criminal record, with 73 per cent of those convicted in 2018 for possession having a prior offence.

More than half of the convicted dealers in 2018 were jailed for an average of 21 months, whereas those charged with amphetamine possession were most likely to escape with an average $495 fine.

The inquiry also heard the price of a gram of ice had ballooned to more than $600 in 2012 but was just $200 in 2018.