Mordialloc man allegedly busted with more than a tonne worth of drug chemicals

A man who allegedly ran an illegal drug lab in Melbourne’s southeast was allegedly busted with enough chemicals to make at least 100,000 lethal doses and a stash of mystery powder in his car.

A man who allegedly ran an illegal drug lab in Melbourne’s southeast was busted with enough chemicals to make at least 100,000 lethal doses and a stash of mystery powder in his car.

Police raids across four properties linked to the man this week uncovered more than one tonne of 1,4-Butanediol – an industrial solvent used to make plastics, but which has similar effects to GHB when ingested.

Clandestine Laboratory Squad detectives found 370kg of the chemical, along with a stash of steroids and prescription medication in two sheds at a Springvale storage facility.

They found another 730kg of 1,4-Butanediol, 29 litres of tartaric acid – which is used to make and purify meth – and a packed up drug lab at a Clayton factory.

Police say the tonne of 1,4-Butanediol could have made about 100,000 potentially lethal doses if it had hit the streets.

Police then tracked the 36-year-old Mordialloc man down in his car, which allegedly had stolen registration plates, about 3.30pm on Thursday.

Police have busted an alleged drug lab in Melbourne’s southeast. File photo.

They found 10kg of a mystery powder inside the car before two more raids were carried out at his Mordialloc property and a business in Highett.

More drug lab equipment and steroids were seized from the Mordialloc address.

Police charged the man with trafficking a large commercial quantity of 1,4-Butanediol, possessing an illegal substance and material for trafficking and possessing the drug precursors sodium borohydride, methylamphetamine hydrochloride and iodine.

Clandestine Laboratory Squad Detective Acting Inspector Mark Newlan said crooks only cared for the profits that could be made from selling the potentially deadly gear.

“While there are legitimate uses for 1,4-Butanediol as an industrial solvent – or cleaning product – it is an incredibly dangerous product to consume which can have fatal consequences,” he said.

“Criminal syndicates care only for the profits this dangerous substance can make them – substituting it for GHB given the cheaper price. Overwhelmingly what users believe is GHB is 1,4-Butanediol.

“The drug can be unpredictable and the difference between survival and a fatal overdose can be very small. There is absolutely no safe amount to ingest — that’s why we’re committed to removing it from unintended hands.”

The man was remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on January 13.

Investigations into the clandestine lab continue.

Anyone with information on illegal drug activity should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.