Real estate agents get tips on dealing with ‘P’ labs

A methamphetamine epidemic has forced Northland real estate bosses to protect its members from stumbling across illegal drug laboratories.

Police are to educate Whangarei real estate rental managers on how to deal with "P labs and other nasties" when entering properties.

The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) has organised the seminar for later this month.

None of the real estate companies contacted yesterday had encountered P labs in the past.

However, with the drug P becoming more established in the community, staff needed to be prepared for such an eventuality, said Northland REINZ committee president Robyn Wright.

"This would be a major problem if it did happen and we need to know what we are dealing with and what to do.

"We are getting onto it quickly and avoiding as much of the potential damage as we can."

Last year, 16 P labs were found in Northland, Mr Nicholson said.

"The police figures show they are obviously around.

"We hope to never come across one but if we do we do want to be aware of what to do."

Get out fast was rule number one, he said.

"Don't do anything, don't touch anything, get out."

P cooks had been known to be violent and unpredictable while the chemicals used to make the drug were potentially explosive.

"If we walk in at the time of the cooking, they may become quite violent toward us.

"P users can be very paranoid and unstable people, totally unpredictable."

When P labs were found on properties, police informed the appropriate district council who noted it on the property's Land Information Memorandum (LIM) report.

Whangarei District Council spokesperson Ann Midson said the council had no such houses in the district currently.

However, if P labs were proven to be in houses it would be noted on LIM reports, and would remain until that house was proven to be decontaminated, she said.

- Northern Advocate