A man who says he has been involved in the methylamphetamine industry for over 20 years has described the impact on people in the Port Macquarie-Hastings region as the ‘zombie apocalypse’.
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The man, who did not want to be identified, said he wants to tell people about the dire situation so that something can change.
He said he has a young family and has accessed rehabilitation services at least four times in the past year.
The man claims there is about $30,000 worth of methylamphetamine which is being imported in the Hastings each week which becomes $150,000 by the time it is sold.
Mid North Coast Police crime manager Kim Fehon said the value indicated is speculation and police were unable to comment on the accuracy of this claim.
Inspector Fehon said she encourages anyone who has information about people supplying methylamphetamine on the Mid North Coast to provide information to police.
“I can assure them that the information will be treated in the strictest confidence and acted upon,” she said.
Strike Force Intrepid is dedicated to the investigation of drug supply and particularly focuses on methylamphetamine.
The use of methylamphetamine has been identified by police as leading to other serious crime.
Inspector Fehon said that methylamphetamine is a harmful drug, regardless of which form it comes in and how it is used.
“Increasing dose size, purity or frequency can increase the risk of harm,” she said.
“Ice is generally more pure than other forms of the drug so the harms from using it are also more severe.
“The user will often be unaware of the purity of the drug due to the fact that it is illegally manufactured with no controls.”
NSW police take a holistic approach and work with other stakeholders including the government and drug action groups to address the issue in the community.
Inspector Fehon said education is a key factor in addressing the reduction and harm minimisation in respect to prohibited drugs.
The man who said he has been involved in the drug industry would like the younger generation to be targeted to teach them about the harmful effects of the drug.
While a lot of the campaigns against the drug tend to target the outside of the body, the man said there is a lot of harm caused to the inside of a person.
“There is instant damage to the brain,” he said.
If people have information about illegal drugs being sold they can report it to Police Crime Stoppers. People can remain anonymous and information will be dealt with confidentially.
To contact Crime Stoppers call 1800 333 000.