7 August 2016

46 arrests in ACT drug operation

| Michael Reid
Join the conversation
5

ice

A six-week police operation targeting the manufacture, trafficking and sale of illicit drugs in the ACT has resulted in 46 arrest warrants and 10 people appearing in court.

Charges including trafficking in controlled drugs and dealing in the proceeds of crime. A number of other people will be summonsed for drug-related offences.

As part of the operation, one man was extradited to New South Wales to face a charge of murder.

This six-week operation has been run in tandem with the ongoing Crime Stoppers ‘Dob in a Dealer’ campaign.

Over the operation, ACT Policing seized almost 3kg of illicit drugs, with a combined potential street value of more than $640,000. Two residences and seven vehicles valued at over $1.8 million and in excess of $600,000 in cash were retained by police as proceeds of crime.

Police also located a so-called grow house in Fraser, seizing 55 cannabis plants and hydroponic systems, with a street value of more than $275,000.

Detective Acting Superintendent Marcus Boorman said it was an excellent result for both ACT Policing and the community.

“We would like to thank the members of the public who have assisted us in our operational activities,” he said.

“Since the beginning of the Dob in a Dealer campaign, ACT Policing has received a substantial amount of information from the public relating to illicit drugs.

“It is your community, you know when suspicious activity is happening in your neighbourhood and when something is out of place.

“These results are the direct outcome of information from the community, and the hard work by ACT Policing’s Criminal Investigations, Community Safety and General Duties members.

“ACT Policing has zero tolerance towards the supply of illicit drugs. Our message is simple, if you are a manufacturer, distributor or trafficker of illicit drugs, we are targeting you, knocking on your door, seizing your assets and putting you before court.”

Crime Stoppers ACT chairman Bryan Roach said the campaign showed reports to Crime Stoppers were important.

“The Dob in a Dealer campaign is continuing, and we are still calling on the community to provide information to Crime Stoppers. Every piece of information is important.

“If you have any information on the manufacturing or dealing of illicit drugs you can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report via the ACT Crime Stoppers website. Rewards of up to $1000 may apply, information can be provided anonymously,” Mr Roach said.

Join the conversation

5
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

“Two residences and seven vehicles valued at over $1.8 million and in excess of $600,000 in cash were retained by police as proceeds of crime.”
– This statement is propaganda. The entire confiscation process has not even commenced yet, so to imply you’ve confiscated anything, when it’s really just been temporarily impounded is not truthful.

“ACT Policing has zero tolerance towards the supply of illicit drugs.”
– Not where I live buddy. Patrols and police operations are as rare as unicorns.

And how interesting that ACT Neighbourhood Watch is not mentioned in relation to any of this… they should add “we value the community’s input [except not the community groups we helped set up] .”

Anyone with concerns about drug usage, what we should do about it, why we have such a problem, may I suggest you read “Chasing The Scream” by Johann Hari.
It is incredibly well researched, but still manages to be written in a very accessible, easy-read way.
Quite an eye-opener.
But don’t read it if you are not prepared to rethink what you think you know.

creative_canberran said :

+1 – Colorado (and others of course) have proven that it can and should be legalised and regulated like tobacco and alcohol and the taxes on it put to good use. It’s time to end criminals monopoly on a substances less harmful than alcohol.

It’s ironic that we followed the US into implementing this foolish prohibition on cannabis which does nothing but promote organised crime, and yet we remain behind the USA when it comes to progressive moves to end it.

People who want to consume cannabis can do so at will as it remains readily available – the big issue is that instead of collecting taxes on it and regulating its sale the government has turned cannabis into a product which provides windfall gains to criminals.
Government doesn’t just deny itself a revenue stream, it is actually causing massive expense to taxpayers in the form of mis-directed police effort, wasted time within the criminal justice system, increased cost of dealing with criminal activity including increased corruption within the police force, and increased healthcare costs.

I recently watched a Netflix series called “Marseille” which spelled out a direct link between the interests of organised crime in laundering drug money and the government policy decisions which enable those criminal activities.
Series 4 of Rake also painted a similar picture of the relationships between a multi-millionaire druglord and NSW politicians.
I had always thought the benefits accruing to criminals through cannabis prohibition were an unconscious side-effect of government policy. Now I’m having my doubts.

rommeldog56 said :

Now just imagine how many more ice dealers they could remove from our streets if they weren’t wasting time busting people for growing and selling cannabis.

Just imagine how many fewer ice-related crimes there would be if the Law didn’t allow drug dealers an artificial monopoly over the supply of cannabis, giving them a ready market to promote their alternative drug, ice.

+1 – Colorado (and others of course) have proven that it can and should be legalised and regulated like tobacco and alcohol and the taxes on it put to good use. It’s time to end criminals monopoly on a substances less harmful than alcohol.

Now just imagine how many more ice dealers they could remove from our streets if they weren’t wasting time busting people for growing and selling cannabis.

Just imagine how many fewer ice-related crimes there would be if the Law didn’t allow drug dealers an artificial monopoly over the supply of cannabis, giving them a ready market to promote their alternative drug, ice.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.