John Booth faces court after police seizure of drugs in Lego blocks

A Morwell man has given a new meaning to the word brick after allegedly being busted with more than $600k worth of drugs and chemicals capable of cooking $2m of meth stashed inside Lego pieces.

Police seized 74 boxes of lego from John Booth’s Morwell home during the raid. Image: Victoria Police

A Morwell lego collector accused of harbouring a mammoth amount of meth ingredients and $600,000 worth of GHB in lego bricks has been forced to hand his beloved collection over to police.

John Booth, 45, fronted Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on January 19, facing a litany of drug trafficking charges.

After four months of investigation, five simultaneous raids on properties in Morwell, Essendon North, Brunswick and South Melbourne uncovered a huge Lego collection concealing an arsenal of drugs and more.

Police allege they uncovered 180kgs of 1,4-Butanediol in the lego bricks, a drug designed to mimic GHB. Picture: citizenbrick.com

Brick by brick, the Fawkner Divisional Response Unit police search revealed 180kgs of 1,4-Butanediol (worth $600,000), 34kg of iodine and 32kg of hypophosphorous acid – ingredients used in methamphetamine production — illegal steroids, methamphetamines, a handgun, an extendable baton, ammunition and three digital devices.

1,4-Butanediol is a drug commonly sold to mimic the effects of GHB and often used as a date-rape drug.

Police say the iodine and hypophosphorous acid had to potential to cook 20kg of methamphetamines with an estimated $2m street value.

Among the drug haul, police also seized a 74 box lego collection, alongside one Rolex and four Breitling watches, alleged to be proceeds of crime and owned by Mr Booth.

Mr Booth has been in police custody since the raid and did not apply for bail in court on Friday.

Ingredients found in the raid could have been used to cook up $2 million in methamphetamines.

Fawkner divisional response unit detective acting Sergeant Brad Hobbs, after the raid, said drug offenders often imported industrial products to sell for enormous profit.

“Overwhelmingly what users believe is GHB is actually 1,4-Butanediol,” he said.

“The drug can be unpredictable and the difference between survival and a fatal overdose can be very small.”

Sergeant Hobbs said the harm to the community would be “enormous”.

“There is absolutely no safe amount to ingest,” he said.

“That’s why we’re committed to removing it from unintended hands.”

Mr Booth will appear in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on April 19.