In a rather big woof, reports have emerged revealing the price of drugs like cocaine have almost doubled in Australia. Not for any particular reason having to do with the ongoing pandemic, but because dealers want profit. Lots of it.
According to law enforcement intelligence reports, via Sydney Morning Herald, cocaine in Byron Bay can now cost up to $450 a gram. Look, bit pricey, considering it went for $250 to $350 a gram on average, pre-pandemic.
But that’s not all. Per SMH, ice is now selling for $250 a gram, marijuana is $400 an ounce, and MDMA is $170 a gram in its powdered form.
“In some cases the street level values are almost double for ice and cocaine,” Australian Federal Police Detective Superintendent Todd Hunter told the publication. “Their profit margins were quite good and are now going through the roof. We’re seeing that through policing and seizures, ongoing operations and intelligence collection right across the country.”
Unsurprisingly, trying to get illegal substances in and out of states have been a tad difficult given our current circumstances. However, where there’s a will, there’s a way and so on and so forth. According to an ACIC (Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission) spokesperson, COVID-19 and “resulting national restrictions do not appear to be having a tangible impact on national illicit drug consumption”. There have been “localised exceptions” though.
Back in April, a report by Vice found people in Melbourne, at least, were buying weed or Xanax over cocaine and MDMA. One of the reasons was due to lockdown laws and the inability to go out and get fucked up. I’d say there’s a good chance that hasn’t changed. Happy Almost One Week of Lockdown 2.0, fellow Victorians.
