THE WINSTON CHURCHILL MEMORIAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA Report by- Randall Smith - 2002/1 Churchill Fellow Detective Sergeant Queensland Police Service 200 Roma Street, Brisbane Q 4000 To undertake a study of police investigations of clandestine drug laboratories. 1
INDEX Page 1. Introduction 3 2. Executive summary 4-5 3. Programme 6-7 4. Main body 8-10 5. Conclusions and Recommendations 11 2
1. INTRODUCTION This report details the findings from a 2002 Churchill Fellowship visit to the United States of America and Canada to undertake a study of police investigations of Clandestine Drug Laboratories. Specific areas included; Studying current trends in the manufacturing of Illicit drugs with a focus on Methylamphetamine. Proactive policing in the location of Clandestine Drug Laboratories Examination of safety procedures, when dismantling Clandestine Drug Laboratories. My visit to the United States of America and Canada and the invaluable experiences I gained would not have been possible without; the financial assistance given to me by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. Special Agents Gene Sugimoto and Duncan Lingle of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Canberra Country Office, American Embassy, Yarralumla, A.C.T in assisting with introductions to the DEA. Gayle P.Rupert, Program Manager, International Visitors Program, Office of International Operations DEA for organising my special observation program. Commissioner Robert Atkinson, Queensland Police Service for supporting my application for a Churchill Fellowship. Special Agent Chuck Johannes, DEA Office of Training- Quantico Virginia for allowing an Australian Police Officer to complete the DEA State and local Clandestine Laboratory Certification Training Course. Mark Trask, Network Environment Services for providing training materials for clandestine drug laboratory investigators Detective Constable John Belleghem, Toronto Police Service for all assistance provided in Canada. Mr John Hugel, Senior Chemist, Health Canada for assisting with introductions to Police officers in Canada. My wife, Tricia Velthuizen also a Churchill Fellow 2002, for the support, encouragement and assistance she provided. 3
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Name: Position: Employer: Randall Smith Detective Sergeant Queensland Police Service 200 Roma Street, Brisbane QLD 4001 Fellowship objective To undertake a study of police investigations of clandestine drug laboratories. Fellowship highlights 1. DEA Clan Lab Academy, Quantico Virginia. - Successfully completed the DEA State and Local Clandestine Laboratory Certification Training Course (5 days). On this course there where 45 other police officers from the USA, with myself being the only international police officer. 2. DEA Headquarters, Washington D.C - John Uncapher and Bill Davis, Office of Diversion Control detailed the Chemical Diversion Programs used in the USA and suggested applications for Australia. - Mark Trask, Network Environment Services, provided USA materials for clandestine laboratory investigators. These materials included handbooks Clandestine Laboratory First Responder Field Guide, Clandestine Laboratory Site Safety Officer Field Guide, Clandestine Laboratory Operations and Safety Field Guide. Also provided was a training package Clan Lab re-certifier. 3. Huntsville, Alabama-Joined Detective Larry Crocker and DEA Special Agent Rocky Harnen field experience in investigating Clandestine Laboratories 4. DEA Kansas City, Kansas- View special purpose clandestine laboratory vehicle and attend active clandestine drug laboratories. 5. DEA Phoenix, Arizona- DEA Special Agent Richard Conine and Detective Billy Ross and discuss children being exposed to Clandestine Drug Laboratories 6. DEA Riverside County, Los Angeles- DEA Special Agent Rick Wammack and Detective Thomas Salisbury and discuss Drug Endangered Children s Program. 7. Toronto, Canada- Detective Constable John Belleghem and Mr John Hugel Senior Chemist, Health Canada and receive Clan lab training materials. 8. Calgary, Canada- Detective Pat Tetley, execution of search warrant and training materials received. 4
Findings As a result of this Churchill Fellowship: - I have successfully completed the DEA State and Local Clandestine Laboratory Certification Training course. Obtained current training materials utilised by investigators of clandestine drug laboratories in the United States of America and Canada. Identified a program currently being conducted in California, U.S.A titled Drug Endangered Children Program which related to children being exposed to clandestine drug laboratories. Dissemination and implementation Seminars I am the Course Co-ordinator for the Queensland Police Service Clandestine Laboratory Investigations Course which is conducted annually at the Queensland Police Service Academy. This course is attended by officers from Queensland and throughout Australia. The knowledge obtained from completing this course and the materials provided will be benefit Police officers throughout Australia and inturn will benefit the Australian community. Invited seminar presentations targeting exposure to clandestine drug laboratories will be provided to members of the Queensland Ambulance Service and Queensland Fire and Rescue Authority. (Ongoing throughout 2002). I will be available to assist other Police Services in Australia with current information in relation to Clandestine Drug Laboratories and able to provide assistance with this training. Publications I identified clandestine laboratory training resources available to law enforcement personnel in the United States of America. These publications consisted of safety field guides that are made available to first response officers and clandestine laboratory investigators. These guides are structured for investigations in the United States and references are made to local products found overseas. A similar field guide produced for Australian Police Officers referring to products found in Australia would be extremely beneficial. It is expected that three field guides will be published and made available for Australian Police Services to assist their officers in responding to Clandestine Drug Laboratories. Research I intend to conduct further investigation into the Drug Endangered Children Program with Department of Family Services (QLD) or similar organizations from other states of Australia with a view of implementing this style of program. 5
3. PROGRAMME Quantico Virginia (USA) 4 February 8 February Complete DEA State and Local Clandestine Laboratory Certification Training Course, Drug Enforcement Administration Academy- DEA Special Agent Special Agent Chuck Johannes. Washington D.C (USA) 11 February 22 February Drug Enforcement Administration Headquarters Office of Diversion Control and Chemical Diversion Programs-John Uncapher, discuss controls of precursor chemicals. Network Environment Services-Mark Trask, discuss safety field guides used by law enforcement officers in the United States whilst investigating clandestine drug laboratories. DEA Special Testing and Research Lab- DEA Chemist Tim McKibben and discuss trends with clandestine drug laboratories. -DEA Chemist Dr Edwardy Skyes Franzosa and receive briefing on tool impressions associated with tablets/pills used in illicit drugs. Huntsville, Alabama (USA) 22 February 3 March Huntsville Police Department (Narcotics)- Detective Larry Crocker DEA Huntsville- Special Agent Rocky Harne - Complete active field experience, undertake surveillance duties of known drug offenders and observe search warrant techniques - View dedicated clandestine laboratory response vehicles. - Attend criminal courts and view drug trial Kansas City, Kansas (USA) 3 March 8 March DEA Kansas City- Group Supervisor Guy Hargreaves - View dedicated clandestine laboratory response vehicle - Attend active clandestine drug laboratory and observe DEA special agents execute search warrants - Observe undercover police operation. 6
Phoenix, Arizona (USA) 8 March 13 March Arizona Department of Public Safety- Detective Sergeant Billy Ross DEA Arizona- Group Supervisor Richard Conine - Attend active clandestine drug laboratory and observe entry made by DEA and local police departments. - View dedicated clandestine laboratory response vehicle. - Discuss children being exposed to clandestine drug laboratories Riverside County, California (USA) 13 March 19 march DEA Riverside County- Group Supervisor Brian Wammack Riverside County sheriffs Department- Detective Thomas Salisbury - Attend to active field experience- observe buy/bust operation. - Discuss had and materials received in relation to Drug Endangered Children program which was pioneered in California. - Obtain training videos. Toronto, Canada 19 March 23 March Toronto Police Service- Detective Constable John Belleghem Health Canada Chemist John Hugel - View dedicated clandestine laboratory response vehicle - Present overview of clandestine drug laboratories to 25 chemists of Health Canada. - Address senior officers of Toronto Police Service on drug problems experience in Australia. - Obtain training videos. Calgary, Canada 23 March 29 March Calgary Police Service- Detective Pat Tetley - Observe execution of search warrants. - View training videos 7
4. MAIN BODY The number of Clandestine Drug Laboratories being located by police officers in Australia is increasing annually. In Queensland, at the end of the year 2001 a total of 115 clandestine laboratories where located, compared with 12 in 1993. Other states throughout Australia are reporting increase numbers of clandestine drug laboratories though not the numbers which have been detected in Queensland. Police Services throughout Australia have developed training programs to assist police officers in investigating clandestine drug laboratories. These training programs where developed with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other materials. Invitations are extended between each police service to allow officers to attend these courses and increase upon their knowledge in this field. It is essential that these courses provide the most up to date information to allow investigators the ability to conduct their investigations safely. Police officers investigating clandestine drug laboratories require specialised training due to dangerous chemicals and other hazards involved with these investigations. Members of the community also need to be made aware of the dangers of being exposed to these clandestine drug laboratories. During the process of manufacturing methylamphetamine if police officers or members of the community are exposed to the gases produced there is a likelihood of death. In recent times offenders have been using the internet to gather new techniques in the manufacturing of methylamphetamine, along with these new techniques comes added dangers that police officers are not aware of. Intelligence has shown that the methods of manufacturing the illicit drug methylamphetamine was introduced to Australia in the mid 1980 s by outlaw motorcycle gangs from the United States of America. Law enforcement agencies in the United States have been dealing with clandestine drug laboratories for a lengthy period of time and have developed excellent training courses designed to assist investigators. The Churchill Fellowship allowed me to travel to the United States of America to complete the Drug enforcement Administration (DEA) State and Local Clandestine Laboratory Certification Training Course. All law enforcement officers in the United States of America are required to complete this course before conducting investigations of clandestine drug laboratories. This course is recognised by all Police Services in the United states of America as being the leading course for investigators. Specifically I was interested in the following areas:. - studying current trends in the manufacturing of Illicit drugs with a focus on Methylamphetamine; - Proactive policing in the location of Clandestine Drug Laboratories; - Examination of safety procedures when dismantling Clandestine Drug Laboratories. 8
4.1 Current trends in the manufacturing of illicit drug methylamphetamine I do not purpose to describe the different ways to manufacture methylamphetamine. Under Queensland legislation, the Drugs Misuse Act 1986 it is an offence to have possession of a document (recipe) used in the manufacturing of a dangerous drug, other states of Australia have similar legislation. As this is a public document the author is prepared to assist any law enforcement officer or other interested person with legitimate reasons, my findings in relation to current trends whilst undertaking this Churchill Fellowship. As a direct result of completing the DEA State and Local Clandestine Laboratory Certification Training Course at Quantico, Virginia I received documentation and other training materials in relation to these methods. It was interesting to observe the different processes used in the manufacturing of this illicit drug, and to identify several different processes that are currently being found by law enforcement officers in Australia. There where also a number of processes that have not been identified in Australia that offenders may discover in the near future. 4.2 Proactive policing in the location of Clandestine Drug Laboratories When I considered applying for a Churchill Fellowship my focus was on traditional policing methods used in the United States of America and Canada to locate clandestine drug laboratories. Whilst travelling throughout the USA I was pleased to discover that from a traditional approach our ways of investigating these offences where very similar, the only glaring difference between the United States of America and Australia was the amount of money each government is able to invest in these investigations. Whilst travelling from the east coast to the west coast of America I heard more about a program that was pioneered in California titled, Drug Endangered Children Program This project commenced in November 1997 as a pilot project by the California governor s Office of Criminal Justice and Planning. The purpose of the Drug Endangered Children Program is to intervene on behalf of children who have been exposed to methylamphetamine and its precursors as a result of residing in a home-based clandestine drug laboratory. Exposure to this physical and social environment, often associated with family violence, emotional abuse, neglect, criminal behaviour, dysfunctional care giving, and toxic chemicals, poses multiple dangers to children including a) Injury or death from fire or explosions resulting from flammable materials used in home-based labs. b) Risk of poisoning and intoxication from accidental ingestion or absorption of accessible, improperly stored chemical precursors, by-products and finished drug product, c) Risk of acute health problems including upper respiratory symptoms, headaches, nausea, dermatologic problems, or chemical burns, 9
The program established multi-disciplinary Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Response Teams, which composed of law enforcement, child welfare workers, public health and medical practitioners, and prosecutors working to promote both public safety and public health. Whilst Australian States have developed legislation in relation to the Neglect of Children further emphasis needs to be made to the dangers of children being exposed in clandestine drug laboratories. Research in the United States showed that prior to this program, when investigators located a Clandestine Drug Laboratory the focus was on the offenders and the only thought for the children was finding a family friend to care for the child whilst the parents where in custody. This program allows for investigators to contact the DEC Response Team who will investigator offences against the child and consider relocating the child in care. As this is a multi-disciplinary team approach medical monitoring of the child can commence upon the DEC Response Teams involvement. This program can be implemented in Australia. 4.2 Examination of safety procedures when dismantling Clandestine Drug Laboratories This Churchill Fellowship has given me the opportunity to attend the Drug Enforcement Administration Academy and successfully complete the DEA State and Local Clandestine Laboratory Certification Training Course. This course highlighted current safety procedures utilised by law enforcement officers in the United States of America. It also reinforced basic safety procedures such as monitoring air quality and the use of Personal Protective Equipment. Whilst completing this course I obtained from Mr Mark Trask of Network Environmental Systems Inc three field guides used by Clandestine laboratory Investigators in the United States of America and Canada. These training resources are titled -Clandestine Laboratory Operations and Safety field Guide -Clandestine Laboratory Site Safety officer Field Guide -Clandestine Laboratory First Responder field Guide These field guides contain information that can be carried by law enforcement officers and referred to in the field. They contain information that relates to American precursor chemicals and photographs of these products for easy recognition by officers. They also have a step by step guide of what is required by each officer and their role at these scenes. As these field guides are specifically aimed at Clandestine Laboratory Investigations in the United States and Canada they have limited use in Australia. There is a need for a field guide to be produced for Australian law enforcement officers that contains Australian precursor products and glassware. 10
6. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Australian police officers are encountering Clandestine Drug laboratories on an almost daily basis. As the majority of these police officers have had limited experience in dealing with these dangerous situations there is a need to provide training to both first response officers through to Clandestine drug Laboratory Investigators. There is a further need to involve other emergency personnel and community groups to be aware of the dangers associated with being exposed to a clandestine drug laboratory. The following recommendations are made as a result of this Churchill Fellowship; 1. That Police Services throughout Australia continue to share information in relation to new trends to manufacture methylamphetamine identified in their respective states. 2. That Police Services throughout Australia allow clandestine investigators to travel to other states to undertake clandestine laboratory investigation course. 3. A Drug Endangered Children Program is implemented in each states of Australia. 4. Clandestine Laboratory Field Guides are developed to assist Australian Police Officers in the identification and investigation of Clandestine Drug Laboratories. The author undertakes to implement the above recommendations and is available to assist other police services throughout Australia and any community groups.. 11