Synthetic drugs production and environmental effects Preventing Drugs Usage by Utilising Environmental Arguments Gothenburg , November 12 th 2014
Synthetic drugs production and
environmental effects
Preventing Drugs Usage by Utilising
Environmental Arguments
Gothenburg , November 12th 2014
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Serious
Organised
Crime
Counter-
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Corporate
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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)
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Trafficking in
human beings
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Top OCGs
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FP Monitor
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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: [email protected]