Ice prep 'like shopping at Bunnings'

The price of methamphetamine, or ice, has reportedly dropped to as low as $40 a hit in NSW towns.

Fairfax Media has interviewed teenagers in Sydney and Newcastle who say the price for a `point' - a tenth of a gram - has dropped substantially in recent years.

Detective Superintendent Nick Bingham, who is commander of Operation Polaris, which targets organised crime at NSW sea cargo terminals, told Fairfax that drug syndicates are able to easily import large quantities of ice precursor ingredients because the chemicals are not illegal.

"It's almost like buying chemicals from Bunnings," he said.