Homegrown 'pervitin culture' is on the rise

Inching slowly up the stairs of a gray and nondescript apartment block in the northwest border town of Cheb, a group of anti-drug police officers - some kitted out in full riot gear - prepare to raid the home of two suspected methamphetamine dealers.

Without so much as a warning knock, one of the officers forces open the front door with a battering ram before the others storm past, all shouting at the occupants to get down on the floor. Once inside, they confirm their suspicions by discovering around 30 grams of a "crystalline substance" and various pieces of drug-making equipment. The items are seized, and a 28-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman are arrested.

Incidents such as this, shown in a video made public by the authorities in February, are commonplace here. According to Jakub Frydrych, head of the anti-drug police, officers shut down 235 so-called "kitchen" methamphetamine labs in 2012, compared with 388 the year before. Although it might seem like a step in the right direction, Frydrych says the labs, despite being fewer in number, are getting bigger in size and cooking up larger quantities of the drug.

"Organized criminal groups, often of Vietnamese origin, are able to ensure high-volume orders that are delivered to Asian markets by courier," he said. "The Czech police are cooperating with other authorities to control this phenomenon, in particular at the Czech-German border."

Source: Annual Report: The Czech Republic 2011 Drug Situation

The Czech Republic has long been considered Europe's leading producer of methamphetamine, a stimulant known locally as pervitin, harking back to a time when restrictions imposed by the communist regime meant people had to concoct their own illicit substances at home.

Nowadays, the concerns are more of a commercial nature, with dealers concentrating their operations in the north Bohemia region to satisfy the growing demand from neighboring Germany. However, amid increased scrutiny from international bodies, kitchen lab operators are taking more precautions to avoid capture by the police.

"During the production of methamphetamine, chemical reactions occur that create waste materials and produce a strong smell, which can lead to a lab's location being revealed," Frydrych said. "That's why isolated, far-away places are popular, because they reduce the risk of getting caught."

Made by boiling down a combination of chemicals, one of which can be found in cold and flu medicines, methamphetamine is extremely popular with partygoers. The synthetic drug gives users the same feelings of energy and euphoria as cocaine but for a snip of the price. However, it is also highly addictive: Of the estimated 40,000 long-term drug users in the Czech Republic, more than three-quarters are dependent on methamphetamine.

Addicts of the drug, which is usually injected but can also be snorted or smoked, experience a range of health problems, including insomnia, rotten gums and even long-term brain damage. Jindich Voboil, the national anti-drug coordinator, says methamphetamine can be more dangerous than heroin.

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Homegrown 'pervitin culture' is on the rise