The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) provides mission critical intelligence to combat the threats Australia faces from transnational serious and organised crime (SOC). Illicit drugs continue to pose a serious and ongoing threat to the Australian community, which emphasises the need for intelligence, law enforcement and health agencies to work collaboratively to combat both the supply of and demand for illicit drugs in Australia.
According to Report 21 of our National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program, methylamphetamine continues to pose the highest risk to Australian communities with a 1.5 tonne increase in national consumption between August 2022 and August 2023.
Methylamphetamine is produced in both crystal and powder form. No other drugs are captured under the definition of methylamphetamine, but it captures all forms of the drug (i.e., base, powder and crystal). Wastewater analysis is not able to quantify what proportion of consumption is attributed to crystal vs. powder consumption. However, the majority of the methylamphetamine seizures and detections in Australia relate to the crystal form, which is supported by regular user group reporting that indicates around 80% relates to crystal methylamphetamine.
The most recent data available to the ACIC indicates that the wholesale price of one kilogram of (crystal) methylamphetamine ranges between A$115,000 and A$180,000. The range is because there are a number of variables impacting the wholesale price – the price at which one SOC group sells to another, the relationship between these groups, the quantity of the drug being supplied, the location and normal market dynamics.
For reference, methylamphetamine is also commonly known as methamphetamine. In our wastewater reports, methylamphetamine is used, consistent with the preferences of the ACIC and this is outlined in the terminology section of each report.