synthetic drugs production and environmental effects · synthetic drugs production and...

Synthetic drugs production and

environmental effects

Preventing Drugs Usage by Utilising

Environmental Arguments

Gothenburg , November 12th 2014

Organisational structure

Operations

EC3

Serious

Organised

Crime

Counter-

Terrorism Info Hub

Director

Governance Capabilities

Cabinet

Corporate

Affairs Security ICT Admin

Serious

Organised

Crime

Europol Unclassified - Basic Protection level

BA Serious and Organised Crime Head of Business Area

(M. Rauschenbach)

SOC Management

Support

SOC Strategic

Analysis (T. Schotte)

Business

Manager (R. Crepinko)

Business

Manager(Carlo Van

Heuckelhom)

Organised Crime Networks Economic Crime

Fraud

FP MTIC

FP Smoke(H. Pugh)*

Drugs

FP Cola

FP Heroin

FP Synergy

FP Cannabis(TBD)

Illegal

Immigration

FP Checkpoint(T. De Haan – A.

Rodriguez)

Property Crime

FP Furtum(C. Checcinato – M. Will)

Trafficking in

human beings

FP Phoenix(A. Molnar)

Firearms

FP Firearms(R. Codesal)

Top OCGs

FP ITOC

FP EEOC

FP Monitor

FP Copper

FP Sports

Corruption(D. Ellero)

Counterfeiting

FP Copy

FP Soya(C. Vansteenkiste)*

* Appointment September 2014

Europol Unclassified - Basic Protection level

World’s environment and illicit drug trade

• Overlooked and ignored aspect – drug production on environment;

• Cutting of rain forests for the planting of coca fields;

• Deforestation for opium fields as well;

• Destruction of (national) forests for the growing of marijuana;

• Manufacture of all synthetic and semi-synthetic drugs make an impact on the environment (dumping of hazardous waste by-products)

• Illegal drug production contributes to:

• Deforestation,

• Reduced biodiversity;

• Increased erosion;

• Air pollution

• Global climate change (burning of forests releases high amounts of methane, CO2, …

• 25% of all deforestation in Peru is associated with planting of coca bushes;

• Over the past 20 years – 2.4 million hectares of rain forest (area roughly the seize of El Salvador) were destroyed for drug production fields in the Andean region of Peru, Bolivia and Colombia;

• Approx. 1 ha of coca fields requires 4 ha of forest to be cleared!;

• 1 ha of coca field produces 7.4 kg of cocaine per year;

• Thus, consumption of 1 g of cocaine implies the destruction of 4 m2 of rain forest!!!

• Approx. 14,800 tones of chemicals (ethyl ether, acetone, ammonia, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid) used in jungle labs are discharged each year into the Amazon River

• 1 kg of cocaine base required:

• 3 l of concentrated sulfuric acid;

• 10 kg of lime (calcium carbonate);

• Up to 80 l of kerosene;

• 200 g of potassium permangenate;

• 1 l of concentrated ammonia

• Damages are not only related to cocaine production;

• 1 ha of productive opium field requires the clearing of approx. 2.5 ha of forest;

• 120 to 230 tons of soil per hectare is lost to erosion;

• 1 kg of finished methamphetamine results in 10 to 12 kg of hazardous waste by-products (contamination of ground water);

• It can take up to 3 days or more days and more than $100.000 to clean up contaminated soil, destroy buildings and remove toxic chemicals from drug sites

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

• Production of synthetic drugs produces a lot of toxic waste

• Waste is dumped into nature, industrial and even in urban areas

• Waste is burned or drained

• Severe pollution of the environment and dangerous for human beings and animals

PRODUCTION PROCESSES

• 1. Synthesis of Leuckart

• 2. Reductive amination

– Hydrogen gas and Platinum Oxide

– Aluminium amalgam

– Cold method (sodium borohydride)

SYNTHESIS OF LEUCKART

1st BOILING STAGE

CHEMICALS PROCESSES

WASHING STAGE

2ND BOILING STAGE

SEPARATION

DISTILLATION

CRYSTALLISATION

FILTRATION

DRYING

PULVERISATION

WEIGHING

PACKAGING

synthesis

BMK / Formamide / Formic acid

Water

Hydrochloric acid

Caustic soda

Dissolving agent: Methanol /

Acetone / Acid / Sulphuric acid

HARDWARE

Heating mantle/ Gas burner / 20-litre round-

bottomed flask / Cooler /Reaction vessel/

boiler / Temperature gauge / Caustic scrubber

/ Laboratory equipment: small glassware /

hose- water / connector / silicon, boiling stone,

etc.

Bell-shaped funnel

Heating mantle / Gas burner / 20-litre round-

bottomed flask / Cooler / Temperature gauge /

Caustic scrubber / Laboratory equipment:

Small glassware / Hose, silicon, etc.

Separating apparatus – material /

pH paper

Heating mantle / Gas burner / 20-litre round-

bottomed flask / Cooler / Temperature gauge /

Laboratory equipment: small glassware /

hose / water connector / silicon, etc.

Vacuum pump / Wallpaper remover / Vessel –

cask- cement barrel / Mixing apparatus / pH

paper / Crystallisation vessel

Büchner funnel / Vacuum pump / Centrifuge /

Pillow case – sheet / Filtration material (home

made)

Oven / Airing cupboard / Hairdryer / Drying

apparatus / Groundsheet, ventilator

Strainer / Mortar / Mixer / Cooking apparatus /

Industrial pulveriser / Mincer

Weighing apparatus (scale)

Vacuum shrink – wrapping machine / Plastic

shrink – wrapping bags / Vacuum seal

machine

Illicit Synthetic Drug Laboratories

Common production methods; Amphetamine

AMPHETAMINE PRODUCTION

LEUCKART SYNTHESIS

REDUCTIVE AMINATION H2-PtO2

Illicit Synthetic Drug Laboratories Common production methods; Ecstasy

(MDMA)

REDUCTIVE AMINATION

HIGH-PRESSURE METHOD

OR

COLD-METHOD

MDMA PRODUCTION

REDUCTIVE AMINATION

CHEMICALS PROCESSES

DISTILLATION

CRYSTALLISATION

FILTRATION

DRYING

PULVERISATION

WEIGHING

PACKAGING

synthesis

PMK / Methylamine: in solution

gaseous

Dissolving agent: methanol /

ethanol

Hydrogen gas

Platinum oxide

Nitrogen gas

Dissolvent agent:: acetone

Acid: hydrochloric acid

Tableting auxiliary substances:

micro cellulose / lactose / Mcom-

pressel / talc / magnesium

stearate / starch / corn flour /

caffeine / colouring substance /

“compression powder”

HARDWARE

MIXING & COLOURING

TABLETING

Pressure (reaction) vessel / Pressure gauge /

Temperature gauge / Tap / Motor / Stirring

mechanism / Vacuum pump / Deep freeze (> -20

Celsius) cold method / Jerry cans

Solvent cleaner / Heating mantle / Gas burner /

20-litre round-bottomed flask / Cooler (glass-

metal) / Hoses / Vacuum pump / Temperature

gauge / Distillation kettle / Collecting vessel

Vessel / Cement barrel / Cask / Mixing apparatus

/ pH paper / Crystallisation vessel / Deep freezer

Büchner funnel / Vacuum pump / Centrifuge /

Filtration material (home made)

Oven / Airing cupboard / Hairdryer / Drying

apparatus / Groundsheet / Ventilator

Strainer / Mortar / Mixer / Mincer / Cooking

apparatus / Industrial pulveriser

Mixing drum / Kettle / Food processor / Concrete

mixer / Mixer / Weighing apparatus

Tableting machine / Die / Punches

Weighing apparatus

Vacuum shrink / Wrapping machine / Plastic

shrink / Wrapping bags / Vacuum seal machine

REDUCTIVE AMINATION NaBH4

REDUCTIVE AMINATION AlHg

SYNTHETIC DRUGS WASTE

COMPOSITION OF THE WASTE

• Depends on:

• Production method used

• Chemical knowledge of the producer

• Production equipment used

• Quality of the chemicals used inc. catalysts

• Use of cleaning equipment as solvent cleaners (recycling).

AMOUNT OF WASTE produced during the production of 1 kg Amphetamine

• With the use of the Leuckart synthesis

• Used chemicals

– Phenyl-2-Propanone (BMK)

– Formamide

– Formic -, Hydrochloric and Sulphuric acid

– Acetone - Methanol - Ether

• production of 1 kg amphetamine results in 20 - 30 kg dangerous / toxic waste.

AMOUNT OF WASTE produced during the production of 1 kg MDMA

• With the use of the Reductive Amination ‘Cold’ method

• Used chemicals

– Piperonyl Methyl Ketone (3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl-2-propanone - MDP-2-P )

– Methylamine

– Sodium borohydride

– Acetone - Methanol - Ether

• production of 1 kg MDMA (XTC) results in 6-10 kg dangerous / toxic waste.

Some figures regarding the labs waste in the NL 2006/2007 based on NFI calculation

• 1 kg amphetamine by Leuckart synthesis produces 20-30 litres of chemical waste

• 1 kg MDMA made by Reductive amination method produces 6-10 litres of chemical waste

• Dump sites seized in the NL: 2006: 42 / 2007: 39 (2014 : +160)

• Seizures made in 2006: – Amphetamine: 1800 kg. Waste: 36.000 - 54.000 litres – MDMA : 2400 kg. Waste: 14.400 – 24.000 litres

• 10 % 50.400 – 78.000 litres • 100 % 500.400 – 780.000 litres

WAYS OF DISPOSAL

• Dumping (nature areas, industrial areas, country sites, urban areas, etc)

• Draining:

in the sewer system

in surface water

in or on the ground

• Burying in the ground

• Left in a stolen trailer

• Draining on the ground - with the use of a van which is specially equipped (barrels, liquid pump, hoses, and on/off switches)

• Burning waste in a stolen car (mostly a stolen van which is set on fire in a abandon area)

• Draining waste on open sea. With the use of sea ships (synthetic drug waste is mixed with other chemical waste).

78

Afval dumpen

COSTS

CLEANING THE POLUTION SOIL SANITISATION

• Sand ground: € 15 a kg

• Sand ground with pavement € 82 a kg

• Clay: € 181 a kg

• The average dumping quantity is 800 kg. ( figures of NL : 2013 787 litre )

Costs for cleaning

• Cleaning 21.000,- euro

• Cleaning of the soil 31.850,- euro

• Municipality 6.000,- euro

• Fire brigade 11.000,- euro

• Other services 6.000,- euro

75.850,- euro

Cost for cleaning in NL

• Costs variates from 12.500 – 20.000 €/

dumping

• 2013 : 1.900.000 – 3.000.000 €/year

• 2014 ??? : 3.750.000 – 6.000.000 €/year

MEASURES

MEASURES

• Stabilising the situation (in case of fire, pollution, direct dangers etc)

• Technical evidence collection

• Removal, storage and destruction of the waste

• Sanitising the ground(water)

TRENDS

• Criminal organisations are using ‘specialists’ for the removal of their waste

• Waste is transported over hundreds km from the illicit production unit to the dump – destruction site

• Self production of precursors.

• Use of distillation machines (recycling of solvents)

• Use of “new” chemicals for the production result = change in the chemical properties of the waste

• Increase in the burning of the waste

• Mixing the waste with old oil

• Draining the waste with the use of vans and draining equipment.

CONCLUSIONS

• Production capacity in increasing

• Use of more sophisticated equipment

• New production methods with “new” chemicals

• Produces a huge amount of toxic and dangerous waste

• Dumping and draining causes great environmental and health risks and damage.

• Cleaning the environment costs enormous amounts of money

• Health risks can be enormous

• Criminals are hindering the technical evidence collecting

• Technical evidence collection and safety measurements needs to be improved

• Standardisation and centralisation of information is necessary

• Analysing waste can be useful and may results in a lot of evidence which can contribute to the start of a new or further investigation.

Comparison ???

• Amounts

• Barrels/jerrycans/vessels

– UN mark

– Labels

– Other marks

• Waste

– Oil?

– Acid or base

– Colors

– MDMA or Amphetamine

• Time between the dumps

How to link dumpings ?

• Compare the chemicals found at the dumping site

• Compare the amounts of waste

• Compare the physical appearance of the barrels/jerrycans

• Compare labels/UN-numbers en specific features

• Compare text on vessels and packages

• Compare time and regularity in between dumpings

• Compare traces of amphetamine waste (CHAIN)

• Compare tactical traces

• Look at dumplocations and distance between them.

How to link subject to dumping ?

•Fingerprints

•DNA evidence

•Tactical evidence

•Labels/batchnumbers can give clues for buying or selling of chemicals.

amounts

UN-mark

Labels/backtracking

Labels/backtracking

Backtracking

Marks

Samples to compare waste

Tactical information

DNA material

RISKY !

Thank you for your attention

Werner VERBRUGGEN Serious Organised Crime Department – O22

Focal Point SYNERGY

EUROPOL

office:+31 703531378

mobile: +31624823124

e:mail: werner.verbruggen@europol.europa.eu