Kevin Reilly and Luke Drever remain behind bars after January drug lab raid near Braidwood
A drug testing “backlog” in NSW has left an alleged meth lab duo facing a lengthy delay in jail awaiting prosecution on drugs charges.
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Two men behind bars charged over a massive drug lab bust outside Canberra face months of delays because NSW authorities are overwhelmed with drug cases around the state.
Luke Drever, 37, and Kevin Reilly, 38, were both arrested in January after police raided a suspected meth lab at Harolds Cross, southwest of Braidwood.
Queanbeyan Local Court on Tuesday heard police drug lab testing was suffering a “backlog across the state” leading to months-long delays in major drug prosecutions.
Magistrate Roger Clisdell refused a police request for a six-month adjournment, instead ordering the case back to court in June.
He said he expected police would know by then when the chemicals seized from the shed would be tested by.
“It might be 2026 or something, but at least it’ll be a date,” Mr Clisdell said.
“The situation is becoming unbearable.
“It now appears it could be years before we get a brief of evidence.”
The case has been given priority because both men remain behind bars.
Ms Clisdell told Reilly — who appeared by video link from Goulburn jail — there might be no choice but to give police another three months to finish testing when the case returns to court in June.
Drever, who has a chemical engineering degree and who police allege was the lab’s “cook”, did not appear in court on Tuesday.
Police in January said they found 45 litres of meth oil at the lab, which could be distilled into 40kg of the drug ice, with a street value of $34 million.
Drever flew to Canberra from Adelaide in the days before the raid, and the duo were under constant surveillance until their arrest, according to police.
A raid on the sheds uncovered what police described as a “sophisticated production line” capable of churning out kilos of meth at a time.
The sheds were packed with what police allege were precursor chemicals, gas bottles, ventilation systems and 1000l steel vats.
Police also seized a shotgun, a rifle, cash and phones in the raid.
Neither man has entered a plea to manufacturing a prohibited drug.