Machine enabling labs to churn out 100kg of meth found in Melbourne

Four Melbourne tradesmen spent their days at worksites, but allegedly cooked meth on an industrial scale by night.

A decarboxylation reactor that was seized in a raid at Tyabb.

Organised crime gangs are moving to import machines capable of manufacturing meth on an industrial scale.

The Herald Sun has been told decarboxylation reactors like one seized in Melbourne come from China and can be bought for $30,000 each.

They can produce 100kg of meth in each “cook”, opening the way for syndicates to reap profits running into many millions for each day they operate.

Victoria Police’s clandestine laboratory squad last week made their first seizure of one of the machines in a factory at Tyabb, on the Mornington Peninsula.

The reactor, which was earlier detected by Australian Border Force officials, was capable of pumping out enormous amounts of methylamphetamine.

Meth cooking has traditionally involved the piecing together of glassware and other chemical reaction equipment in an often complex and dangerous process.

But the machine at Tyabb just needed chemicals put in at the right levels and it would do the rest.

It was allegedly being operated by four tradesmen who spent their days at worksites and nights brewing up meth.

Investigators last week made their move, carrying out Melbourne-wide pre-dawn raids at two properties in Tyabb and others at Wheelers Hill, Ferny Creek, Hillside, Ardeer, Clayton and Sunshine West.

The machines can produce 100kg of methamphetamine in each “cook”.

They allegedly seized what was described as a large commercial quantity of methylamphetamine oil, a large commercial quantity of methyl alpha-phenyl acetoacetate (MAPA) and a large quantity of unidentified liquids still awaiting analysis.

A Tyabb man, 25, an Ardeer man, 30, and a Hillside man, 31, have been charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of methylamphetamine and possessing articles to manufacture the drug.

A 41-year-old Wheelers Hill man was charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of methylamphetamine, possessing articles to manufacture the drug and attempting to traffic a large commercial quantity of 1,4-Butanediol.

They will appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on November 2.

A Ferny Creek woman, 66, was arrested and released pending further inquiries.

Detective Insp. Nick Allwood of the clandestine laboratory squad said the bust was an excellent result.

“These are significant seizures from what is (allegedly) one of the most sophisticated clandestine laboratories we have seen in Victoria,” he said.

Insp. Allwood said the damage done by drug manufacturing was broad.

“Illicit drug labs pose significant health and safety risks to the community and many of the chemicals involved in drug manufacture are highly volatile, explosive or carcinogenic in nature,” he said.

“Residual contamination resulting from the manufacture of these illicit substances presents a serious risk to human and environmental health.”

ABF Commander Kelly-Anne Parish said the joint operation was another example of the kind of success yielded by law enforcement bodies working together.