Synthetic drugs production and

environmental effects

Preventing Drugs Usage by Utilising

Environmental Arguments

Gothenburg , November 12th 2014

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Europol Unclassified - Basic Protection level

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Manager (R. Crepinko)

Business

Manager(Carlo Van

Heuckelhom)

Organised Crime Networks Economic Crime

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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