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Australian Ice Thread

'Ice' seized in Numurkah in north-east Victorian drug raids

Police have arrested four people and seized a large quantity of drugs after carrying out a series of raids across north-east Victoria.

An amount of the drug 'ice' was seized from a property in Numurkah's Swallow Street yesterday and two 26-year-old men were arrested - they now facing trafficking charges.

A 51-year-old man was also arrested in Toorack Street, Numurkah.

He has been charged with trafficking cannabis.

Meanwhile, police in Shepparton carried out a simultaneous raid at a house in Alexander Parade, arresting a 27-year-old resident after ice, cash, and stolen goods were found.

Detective Marcus Boyd from the Cobram Criminal Investigation Unit said police acted on a tip-off from the public.

"Once again this is the culmination of the good work by investigating detectives linking these burglaries to the use of ice in and around the Numurkah area and flowing onto Shepparton," he said.

He said police had put a dent in the area's ice supply.

"It's ice that would have been used by people on the streets, so it's good to have that with us and off the streets and putting a little bit of a dent in the ice trafficking community if you like," he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-29/'ice'-seized-in-north-east-victorian-drug-raids/7123626
 
Ads for dangerous drug ice multiply on Craigslist

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CRYSTAL meth is being sold on public internet sites, disguised as bags of ice that will “keep you cool this summer”.

A string of ads posted on classifieds website Craigslist offer the drug to anyone wanting to “keep the party going”. Each ad has a picture of melting ice cubes and the words “bags of ice available! Stay cool for summer! 3 for $130”.
The dealer is in Melbourne and promises to deliver the goods to the city’s suburbs within the hour.

Dealers are also selling drugs through the Dark Web, a hidden, lawless place on the internet where people can access illegal substances.
A news.com.au investigation last year uncovered the Dark Web was hoarding $7.5 million in illicit substances. On marketplace Agora, Australian dealers offered more than 9000 individual listings of drugs in just one week.
The Dark Web is easy enough to access, but you need software to conceal your identity, as well as the dealer’s.

Craigslist does not have that sort of censoring, you don’t need to download any special software or be particularly computer savvy, and you can have anything you desire with a click of the mouse.
Dealers have been selling their product on sites like Craigslist for some time, but the ads are continuing to multiply, making it harder and harder to regulate.

Users say it’s easy to score through sites like Craigslist. Recovering meth addict Brian* told news.com.auhis life spiralled out of control when he discovered how straightforward it was to access.
Many addicts who buy their gear off the Dark Web have to have enough computer knowledge to use Bitcoin, a virtual currency. But with sites like Craigslist, anyone with an internet connection can have access to the ads within minutes of logging on.

DRUGS ONLINE A NEW ISSUE

Refocus rehab clinic director Barbara Kustra said using the internet to sell drugs was a new phenomenon and Craigslist was not the only channel dealers were using.
Ms Kustra said anybody who bought off sites like Craigslist was taking a serious risk.
“If you have something delivered, you don’t know what it is,” she said.

“Although it’s risky buying off the street, there’s usually a person that’s connected to the drug so people have to be more cautious about what they put in the drug because it’s easier to trace it back to them.
“People online could take more chances with dangerous chemicals because it is a faceless crime.”

The rehabilitation worker imagined these ads would target young people.

“I think people under 25 are incredibly impulsive and computer savvy,” Ms Kustra said.
“I would imagine that if you’re an impulsive person at a party and you’re young with access to these ads, you’ve got trouble.”

She said drug experts and authorities were still working to understand online drug deals.
“I think like anything at the beginning they’re going to have to gain intelligence and get special task forces to deal with internet crime,” Ms Kustra said.
She warned everybody to stay away from Craigslist.

“You’re taking a really big chance,” she said.
“You don’t know who it’s from, what it is and you might get a batch that makes you go crazy, psychotic or overdose.”

Drug dealing over the internet is just another factor that could further stretch the ice epidemic and Ms Kustra said she had already seen the drug take control of many in the past few years.
“Five years ago about 20 per cent of people who came to rehab were on ice. Now it’s 60 per cent,” she said.

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Drugs on Craigslist are relatively cheap, with some dealers selling two bags of ice for $100 or four bags for $190.
It’s advertised in the Melbourne suburbs of Maidstone, Ascot Vale, Moonee Ponds, and Footscray.

RMIT University cyber security expert Mark Gregory said the internet was fast becoming a vehicle for people to break the law.
“It’s a problem of course for the website in that they’re trying to maintain a reputation,” he said.

“It’s also a problem for law enforcement because they obviously need to be gathering information and contacting these websites.”
Dr Gregory said people spoke in code in order to dodge site rules.

“It’s a constant battle for police to deal with this type of thing,” he said. “People are dealing online because it’s very cost effective, the market size is huge and it’s much more difficult to contact them because these people are anonymous.”

Dr Gregory said these public ads may entice children who could end up hooked on the drug.
“Children get sucked in and want to experiment with drugs and the availability of it is a real threat,” he said.

“But dealing online now is just the norm and we are about to see a lot more of it.
“These ads are popping up all over the place and we need to be aware of what our children are doing — it’s not good enough just to leave children on the internet without supervision.”

POLICE AWARE OF THE ISSUE

Victoria Police is aware of a number of websites that facilitate the trafficking of illicit goods and has conducted a number of investigations which have resulted in successful prosecutions from information gathered through these websites.
These investigations have involved illicit goods of varying quantities and values.

“Anyone who is engaging in illegal activity on the internet needs to be aware that Victoria Police actively monitor these sites and conduct proactive and covert investigations into online illegal activity,” a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.
“If you are conducting criminal activity within these forums you will be caught and charged.

“The Victoria Police E-Crime Squad is constantly increasing their skills and training to make sure they keep up to date with changing methods used by people selling and buying items online.
“Investigators also work closely with digital analysts to address new trends.”

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/he.../news-story/182112b2265e1534e41359a9a0405bf2?
 
Two men charged and almost 5kg of crystal methamphetamine seized

Two men have been charged following a joint agency investigation into the importation of border controlled drugs through international mail.

This joint agency operation, codenamed Operation Delime, involved members from the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Victoria Police and Australian Border Force (ABF).

ABF officers at the Melbourne international mail facility detected five consignments of the border controlled drug Crystal Methamphetamine between 28 December 2015 and 21 January 2016.

The drugs, with a total weight of 4.9 kilograms, are believed to have originated in Asia.

On Wednesday 27 January, AFP and Victoria Police officers executed search warrants in Melbourne, Caroline Springs and Kyneton resulting in the four arrests of Taiwanese nationals.

A 29–year-old Melbourne man appeared today (Thursday 28 January) at the Melbourne Magistrates Court charged with three counts of importing commercial quantities of border controlled drugs.

A 31 –year-old Kyneton man appeared today (Thursday 28 January) at the Melbourne Magistrates Court charged with one count of importing commercial quantities of border controlled drugs.

A 29-year-old Surry Hills man and a 36-year-old male Taiwanese tourist were released pending further enquiries.

Joint Task Force Icarus, with members drawn from the AFP, ABF and Victoria Police, is a joint agency task force that targets those who seek to use the international mail and air cargo systems for criminal activity.

People needing help with drug related problems, including families and friends of drug users, are encouraged to call the Health Department’s direct line on 1800 888 236, a 24-hour telephone counselling, information and referral service.

Police and the ABF need the community’s assistance to minimise the harm caused by drugs.

http://newsroom.border.gov.au/relea...-almost-5kg-of-crystal-methamphetamine-seized
 
Trial of Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara for the murder of student Jamie Gao begins in the NSW Supreme Court

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"He went to that meeting and went into that storage shed thinking that what was to happen would shortly make him very rich," the Crown Prosecutor said.

"Instead he was shot and killed and dragged to the back of the station wagon and dumped at sea."

The victim was Jamie Gao, a 20-year-old student and would-be drug dealer who was hoping to make his fortune in a "massive" one-off drug deal.

Instead, the NSW Supreme Court heard on Monday, Mr Gao was murdered by the two men who were supposed to be the buyers in the deal – Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara.

In his opening address to the pair's murder trial, Crown Prosecutor Chris Maxwell, QC, said it was an "undeniable fact" that Mr Gao was shot twice in a rented storage shed in the south-west Sydney suburb of Padstow on the afternoon of May 20, 2014.

Six days later the young man's body was found floating in the sea off Cronulla inside a surfboard cover and wrapped in blue plastic.

The members of the jury were shown still images from CCTV footage which allegedly showed that on May 20 Mr McNamara and Mr Gao went into the unlit shed at 1.46pm and that Mr Rogerson joined them at 2.10pm.

Eight minutes later the two accused emerged dragging a silver surfboard cover allegedly containing Mr Gao's body.

"What is abundantly clear is that Mr Gao was shot dead behind the closed doors at a point in time during that 30 minutes," Mr Maxwell said.

"It's clear, you might think, that Jamie Gao was shot by one of the accused. It will become apparent that the prosecution cannot establish which accused was the shooter. But it doesn't have to prove which one was the killer."

He said that this was because Mr Rogerson and Mr McNamara were part of a joint criminal enterprise to murder Mr Gao and then steal the 2.78kg of methyl amphetamine he had brought to sell to them.

After the murder, police allegedly found the drugs in Mr McNamara's car wrapped in two brown pillow cases.

Both Mr Rogerson and Mr McNamara have been charged with commercial drug supply in addition to murder.

Mr Rogerson is charged in the alternative of accessory to murder.

Both accused have pleaded not guilty to all charges against them.

Mr Maxwell said that Mr McNamara had been hired as a private investigator by Mr Gao's friends to help them fight their own drugs charges and that Mr Gao had acted as a Cantonese interpreter for their meetings.

Not long after, Mr Gao had allegedly told his cousin that "the deal with Glen was going to be massive" and that he was "going to be rich soon".

The trial, before Justice Geoffrey Bellew, continues.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/trial-of-...reme-court-20160201-gmiwor.html#ixzz3ywlp7otS
 
The exorbitant cost of quitting ice

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MOST experts are unanimous that if an ice addict cries for help, you want to act quickly — and James Gianchino, 34, who has been clean for three years, couldn’t agree more.

But addicts are being forced to pay up to $30,000 for a spot in a private rehab centre or face a wait of up to six months to go a public or charity-run centre.

“There’s a very small time frame that they’re in that mindset,” Mr Gianchino told news.com.au about the need to act quick.

“It’s not as if you can say, ‘hold tight for six months and we’ll get you a bed’. That could mean death or an ongoing life of crime and addiction.”

But a six month wait is the reality for some public and charity-funded rehab centres, forcing many ice addicts’ families to fork out tens of thousands of dollars to get their loved ones immediate help.

After losing his fiance, home and job to a four-year ice addiction, Mr Gianchino tried to get into a publicly funded rehab program in Melbourne but was told to wait or go interstate.

“You have to fit a certain criteria — if you are at your wit’s end and almost dead they might accept you,” he says.

“Apparently I wasn’t quite bad enough — I was like, ‘should I go and get a bit worse?’”

Eventually he turned to his family who helped him scrape together the $30,000 for a spot at a private centre, which he credits for saving his life.

While patients seeking a bed at large centres like Odyssey House in Sydney can usually get in quickly, a bed at a Salvation Army rehab in Brisbane will take about three weeks to secure, while on the NSW Central Coast you’re looking at about three months.

Further south in Victoria, Sam Biondo, the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association executive officer, says average wait times for public and charity-funded beds are in the order of six weeks to six months.

“It really concerns me that the anguish of loved ones forces people to sell their houses or strip their superannuation [to pay for private rehab],” Mr Biondo told news.com.au.

“I’ve heard figures of $35,000 a month, which certainly for me as a professional with a fulltime job would be an outrageous amount of money.

I don’t know how people who are impoverished or even people who are somewhat wealthier can afford that level of commitment.”

The federal government has pledged $600 million to tackle ice, but for now the 200,000 Australian ice addicts and their families are often left wondering how to get treatment.

“It’s very obvious that supply [of rehab beds] is not keeping up with demand,” Gerard Byrne, operations manager for Salvation Army Recovery Services QLD, NSW and ACT, told news.com.au.

“We certainly need to make sure that there is adequate funding across the whole non-government residential drug and alcohol sector to be able to keep up with demand.”

TRAVELLING FOR TREATMENT

While some people go interstate for a bed, others head overseas to places like The Cabin in Chiang Mai Thailand, which costs $14,000 a month — less than half of some of the pricier Australian private centres.

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“Seventy-five per cent of our clientele are ordinary middle class families so it’s often a bit of a stretch to afford it,” says Alastair Mordey, The Cabin program director.

“We’ve had people who have mortgaged their house, and often the parents and grandparents put in.”

Case in point is Jay, 32, who has spent three months at The Cabin for cocaine and gambling addiction, made possible by a loan from family after he couldn’t get into a non-profit rehab in Sydney.

“You had to call every Tuesday and Friday and if you missed a call, you would get dropped down to the bottom of the list,” he says.

“I did that for five weeks but still didn’t get a bed. Meanwhile, I continued using cocaine and gambling — my cocktail of addiction got progressively worse.”

IS IT WORTH THE COST?

Not all rehab programs are created equal and there’s debate about whether government-funded or private programs are best.

Mr Biondo says it’s difficult to monitor private programs who can charge thousands but might not be effective. However Mr Gianchino is concerned public programs may not be as comprehensive.

Ask Ben Morley, 35, his thoughts on private rehab and he’s adamant it’s worth every cent.

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After 19 years of drug use, Mr Morley was suicidal and had locked himself in his apartment unable to eat, sleep or move until his brother-in-law broke in and his father drove him to the Raymond Hader rehabilitation centre where they’ve now spent about $50,000.

“I probably would have cost my parents three times that much if I continued with my cocaine and ice addiction and stealing,” he told news.com.au.

“It was the price to pay to save my life and avoid me dying or ending up in jail — it’s probably a small price for the outcome.”

In their 2016/17 state budget submission, the Victorian Alcohol & Drug Association have recommended the state government fund two 30-bed residential rehabilitation facilities.

James' story -



http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/he...e/news-story/c27f2ea5c846c3871f10dab7f8736349
 
A man has been charged with drug supply after a vehicle stop in Wagga Wagga.

About 9am today (Thursday 4 February 2016), police stopped a Holden Commodore which was travelling on Ashmont Avenue, Wagga Wagga.

The driver, a 35-year-old man, was subjected to a random drug test which returned a positive reading.

Officer subsequently searched the vehicle, allegedly locating an amount of methamphetamine, as well as drug paraphernalia.

He was arrested and taken to Wagga Wagga Police Station where he was charged with supply prohibited drug.

He was refused bail to appear at Wagga Wagga Local Court tomorrow (Friday 5 February 2016).

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46yo man to face Geraldton court on 'ice' charges

Geraldton police have charged a 46-year-old man after allegedly finding more than $20,000 worth of methamphetamine in his possession.

Detectives seized more than 20 grams of methamphetamine, four ecstasy tablets, a small amount of LSD and two firearms.

The man has been refused bail and is due to appear in Geraldton Magistrates Court at a later date.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-...face-'ice'-charges-in-geraldton-court/7133468
 
Hospital security guards want powers to detain or restrain violent patients

Hospital security guards have outlined overwhelming concerns about staff numbers, job training and hospital safety ahead of a roundtable meeting with the government on Monday.

Heath Minister Jillian Skinner committed to holding a roundtable on hospital violence following the near-fatal shooting of a police officer and a hospital security guard by a drug-affected patient in Nepean Hospital's emergency department on January 12.

Doctors, nurses, security guards and emergency workers have spoken out about critical levels of violence in NSW hospitals, partially attributed to sky-rocketing use of crystal methamphetamine, or ice.

A survey of more than 600 security guards and hospital workers, conducted by the Health Services Union in the aftermath of the Nepean Hospital shooting, has revealed almost unanimous support for better training, re-designed emergency departments and revised arrangements with NSW Police, who often have to dump violent patients at their doors.

Almost 98 per cent of respondents want more training for staff in emergency departments with high levels of ice presentations.

More than 95 per cent want more security staff to be able to deal with high levels of violence and 90 per cent supported legislation to introduce health-specific powers of restraint and detention under limited circumstances.

HSU secretary Gerard Hayes said a 2012 survey revealed similar calls for action, yet little had changed.

"All we're seeing now is ice becoming a more prevalent factor as well as the alcohol-fuelled violence but, from a security management point of view, the hospital system is as it was about 20 years ago," he said.

Last Saturday, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital was the scene of another serious incident when a mental health patient, who was dropped at the hospital by police, climbed into a roof cavity and was at risk of falling on an intubated patient in the resuscitation department.

"If he fell on that patient, he would have killed him for sure," said one witness, who took a photo of the collapsed roof cavity.

RPA general manager Deborah Willcox said the patient wasn't aggressive, didn't put any staff or patients in danger and was talked down from the roof, rather than falling.

In the HSU survey, workers have exposed numerous security issues in NSW hospitals, from the inability for guards to search patients' bags for weapons to uniforms that make people mistake them as taxi drivers and cleaners.

Repeated frustrations included a lack of training and laws preventing guards from detaining or restraining violent patients.

"Police bringing persons for treatment in handcuffs and leaving that same person in an emergency department with security officers with no restraints ... I have always found [that] puzzling," one respondent said.

Another said: "Training needs to focus more on negotiation skills rather than self defence. We need a much more professional standard of security officer in our hospitals. We don't need guards who are looking to pick fights or sit around on their smartphones all day."

Several guards have called for dedicated "ice" rooms or seclusion rooms in emergency departments, such is the scale and volatility of the drug problem.

Mrs Skinner has committed to re-assessing the design of some emergency departments with high numbers of ice presentations and auditing anti-violence measures in the busiest hospitals.

Additional security staff have been promised for hospitals "with a demonstrated increased need" and training sessions for dealing with ice-affected patients will begin in March.

Monday's health security roundtable will be convened by NSW Health and attended by the HSU, NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, Australian Medical Association, Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation, Unions NSW and a number of local health district chief executives and NSW Health experts. Police will not attend.

The number of ice-related presentations to 59 public hospital emergency departments in NSW increased more than seven-fold between 2009 and 2014, according to a NSW Health background paper released in September.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/hospital-security-guards-20160205-gmmyis.html
 
Perth drug busts: WA Police seize 32kg of meth in two separate raids

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TWO separate raids on Perth hotel rooms within hours on Tuesday have prevented more than 30kg of methamphetamine from hitting the streets.

A 22-year-old Chinese national has been charged following the seizure of 26.4kg of crystal meth, with a potential street value up to $66 million, on Tuesday afternoon.

A raid on a Perth CBD hotel room by the Joint Organised Crime Taskforce – comprising of WA Police, Australian Federal Police, Australian Crime Commission, Australian Border Force and Australian Transactions Reports and Analysis Centre – allegedly uncovered 14 vacuum sealed bags containing a white crystal substance, which police believe is meth.

The haul is the biggest seizure of meth by the joint taskforce.

Scales, phones and a small amount of cash were also seized. The 22-year-old man was arrested at the scene and later charged with possessing a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply. He was set to face Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

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Hours later on Tuesday night, officers from the Serious and Organised Crime Division Meth Team raided a Perth hotel apartment and seized about 5kg of methamphetamine and 14.4 litres of Gamma-Butyoactone, a pre-cursor chemical used to make the drug GHB, also known as liquid fantasy.

A 41-year-old man and 25-year-old woman have been charged with two counts each of possessing a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply and one count each of possessing stolen or unlawfully obtained property. Police are conducting further inquiries in relation to this seizure.

AFP state manager Commander Matt Rippon praised the efforts of the agencies involved in the joint taskforce operation.

“By stopping these drugs reaching the streets, we have today saved over a quarter of million deals of the drug wreaking havoc across our community,” he said.

WA Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Pryce Scanlan said seizures like this one were significant for the WA community as the dangers of meth were well-known.

“Asian organised crime continues to have a significant impact on the importation and distribution of meth in WA. They are affecting our state and taking advantage of the vulnerable in our community,” he said.

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Since starting in April 2015, the WA taskforce has seized 75kg of meth and charged 29 people with drug importation or dealing offences.

ACC WA state manager Doug Miller said meth posed the greatest threat to the Australian public out of all illicit drugs – by far.

“The results achieved from joint operations such as this one demonstrate our commitment to work together to detect and disrupt this illicit market,” he said.

Minister for Justice Michael Keenan congratulated the taskforce’s largest seizure of ice to date and the arrest of one man for the intent to sell.

“This seizure demonstrates the tireless efforts law enforcement agencies are taking to protect the vulnerable in our community,” he said.

“By stopping these drugs reaching the streets, we have today saved over a quarter of a million deals of this dangerous drug, estimated at $66 million, from wreaking havoc across the Perth community.”

These two busts on Tuesday are the latest in a series of big methamphetamine seizures in Perth.

In July last year, federal and WA police seized 21kg of meth worth $21 million in Karrinyup and charged five people.

The following month, three men were charged over a $20 million methamphetamine haul from an Osborne Park storage unit.

Then in September, police seized 321kg of crystal meth and $1.4 million in cash — the largest seizure of the drug ice in WA history. Four Hong Kong nationals were charged over the drug haul, which had an estimated street value of $321 million.


Source: http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wes...s/news-story/6439e692a5d5c7e30621071bf8263149
 
Four charged after police seize more than $1 billion worth of the drug ice

Australian Federal Police have seized more than $1 billion worth of the drug ice in a joint operation.

We will aim to bring you a live stream of the press conference held by AFP and NSW Police from 12pm onwards (AEDT). Tap the play button above to watch the live stream.

Four people have been charged by the Joint Organised Crime Group for their alleged involvement in the manufacture and importation of methylamphetamine.

Police allege the group were involved in the transportation of 720L of the illicit drug.


Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/national/20...ion-worth-of-the-drug-ice#3wWyAvcRB376IwX8.99
 
Meth worth 'more than $1 BILLION' seized in joint Australian police operation

Police have seized more than $1 billion worth of ice is a massive drug bust.
Four people have been charged over their alleged involvement in importing and manufacturing 720 litres of methylamphetamine, according to the Australian Federal Police.
The Joint Organised Crime Group operation involved the Australian Federal Police, NSW Police, Australian Border Force and Australian Crime Commission.

Minister for Justice Michael Keenan will hold a media conference in Sydney at midday.
Australian Federal Police State Manager NSW Commander Chris Sheehan, NSW Police Chief Superintendent Ken Finch, Australian Border Force Regional Commander NSW Tim Fitzgerald, and Australian Crime Commission NSW State Manager, Warren Gray will also be at the press conference.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-seize-1-billion-worth-ice.html#ixzz40C69mdm8
 
Media Release: Joint agency operation seizes more than $1 billion of 'ice'

Four people have been charged by the Joint Organised Crime Group (JOCG) for their alleged involvement in the importation and manufacture of 720 litres methylamphetamine with an estimated potential street value of more than a billion dollars.

On 8 November 2015 the JOCG established Operation OVCHARKA to investigate potential drug importation and supply from Asia, destined for the Australian market.

Between 23 and 30 December 2015 the JOCG executed four search warrants at storage facilities in Hurstville, Rockdale, Miranda and Padstow. Around 530 litres of liquid methylamphetamine was found concealed in art supplies and 2kg crystallised methylamphetamine.

On 26 December 2015 Australian Border Force (ABF) officers examined a consignment from Hong Kong at the NSW Container Examination Facility. Around 190 litres of liquid methylamphetamine was discovered concealed inside thousands of silicon bra inserts amongst the consignment of 86 boxes.

On 14 January 2016 the JOCG conducted a controlled delivery of the consignment of bra inserts to a storage facility in Burwood and a 33-year-old Hong Kong national was arrested. He was charged with importing a border controlled drug, contrary to Section 307.1 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act 1995.

On 25 January 2016, the JOCG uncovered evidence of drug manufacturing at two Sydney residences in Hurstville and Campsie, alleged to be linked to the liquid methylamphetamine seized in art supplies. A 59-year-old male Chinese national was arrested at Hurstville. A 37-year-old male Hong Kong national and a 52-year-old female Hong Kong national were arrested at Campsie.

All three were charged with knowingly taking part in the manufacture of a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, contrary to section 24 of the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW).

Investigations remain ongoing and further charges have not been ruled out.

The male arrested in Burwood is scheduled to appear at Central Local Court on 11 March 2016 while the remaining three will appear on 23 March 2016.

AFP State Manager NSW, Commander Chris Sheehan said police and their law enforcement partners are working harder than ever to prevent drugs from entering our country.

“The resolution of Operation Ovcharka has stopped a billion dollars-worth of ice from reaching our streets. Police working with our JOCG partner agencies continue to achieve significant ice seizures,” Commander Sheehan said.

ABF Regional Commander NSW, Tim Fitzgerald, said the initial detection on Boxing Day proved that law enforcement was alert to the risk of illicit narcotic importation, including over the Christmas period.

“People should be under no illusion; the ABF is targeting the importation of methylamphetamine and as the figures we’re announcing today show, we’re getting results. With the combined attention of Australia’s law enforcement agencies focused on this issue, the risk of illicit drug smuggling just isn’t worth it,” Commander Fitzgerald said.

NSW Police Force Organised Crime Director, Detective Chief Superintendent Ken Finch commended officers for their commitment to the operation, particularly over the Christmas/New Year period.

“Our squad works 365 days a year to combat transnational organised crime, which could impact NSW. The dedication of our detectives and the members of our partner agencies has seen four people being placed before the courts and ensured these dangerous drugs did not reach the streets of Sydney," Detective Chief Superintendent Ken Finch.

Australian Crime Commission NSW State Manager Warren Gray said that joint operations such as this one have a pivotal role to play in the fight against methylamphetamine.

“The ACC has assessed that methylamphetamine poses—by far—the greatest threat to the Australian public of all illicit drug types, and by a significant margin.”

The JOCG is a multiagency investigation group comprising the AFP, the NSW Police Force, ABF, NSW Crime Commission and the ACC.

During this operation the AFP worked also with Chinese authorities through Taskforce Blaze, which investigates criminal syndicates trafficking ice to Australia and internationally.

All charges attract a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Stills and footage of this operation are available by contacting AFP National Media.

http://www.afp.gov.au/media-centre/...n-seizes-more-than-one-billion-dollars-of-ice
 
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Australian Federal Police have announced the largest seizure of liquid methylamphetamine in Australia’s history.

The Minister for Justice Michael Keenan announced the record haul and claimed the haul's "street value" is more than $1 billion.

Mr Keenan said the illicit drugs had allegedly come from an organised crime syndicate operating out of China and claimed the quantity was enough for 3.6 million "hits" of the drug.

“This is a devastating blow for the organised criminal gangs who peddle in ice, and it shows if you do target the Australian market, we do have the powers and resources to prosecute you.

“We are targeting criminal gangs that are trading off the misery of ice.”

Mr Keenan also said the four people charged over the offences, all Hong Kong nationals, could face life in prison if found guilty.

Police allege the group were involved in the transportation of 720L of the illicit drug.

AFP NSW State Manager Chris Sheehan said some of the drugs had allegedly entered Australia hidden in gel bra inserts, and other stashes had been found concealed in art supplies.

Mr Sheehan said it was a great result for the Australian community and the investigation had commenced when Australian Border Force officers seized a shipping container from Hong Kong in December.

The container was examined on January 4 and allegedly contained gel bra inserts filled with the drug.

Police allege a 33-year-old Hong Kong national is responsible for the shipment. He was arrested in January.

Drugs also allegedly concealed in art supplies were found at locations around Sydney including Miranda, Hurstville, Padstow and Kingsgrove.


Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/national/20...ion-worth-of-the-drug-ice#f3ti2AgCIg4QwPhC.99
 
Damn knew you would beat me to it Poledriver

A billion dollars worth of ice has been seized in a joint police operation.

Four people have been charged over the their alleged involvement in importing and manufacturing 720 litres of liquid methamphetamine.

The Joint Organised Crime Group operation involved the Australian Federal Police, NSW Police, Australian Border Force and Australian Crime Commission.

A 33-year-old Hong Kong national has been charged over the original seizure of the drugs by the Border Force, and a further three Hong Kong nationals, a 59-year-old man, a 37-year-old man, and a 52-year-old woman have been arrested and charged in relation to the drugs located in the storage facilities.

The methamphetamine seized could have produced up to 504kg of high quality ice.

Minister for Justice Michael Keenan has praised the efforts of police.

'This joint operation today shows how successful our law enforcement agencies are in tackling the organised criminal gangs that peddle in the misery of ice.

'It also comes on the back of the last two months of very successful operations of the Australian Federal Police in conjunction with their law enforcement partners, that have taken one tonne of illicit drugs off the streets in 11 individual operations'.

Officials said the operation began in December last year when the Australian Border Force examined a shipping container out of Hong Kong.

'That shipping container was found to contain gel bra inserts and hidden inside those gel bra inserts was 190 litres of liquid methamphetamine,' said Commander Chris Sheehan.

An additional 530 litres of liquid methamphetamine were found during the investigation by joint organised crime investigators.

'These drugs were concealed inside art supplies housed in five storage units in Sydney in the suburbs of Miranda, Hurstville, Padstow and Kingsgrove,' Mr Sheehan said.

Source and Video: http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2016/02/15/ice-worth--1-billion-seized-by-police.html
 
Australian police have seized 720 litres of the drug ice with an estimated street value of $1bn.

Four people have been charged over their alleged involvement in importing and manufacturing methamphetamine.

The joint organised crime group operation involved the Australian federal police, New South Wales police, Australian Border Force and Australian Crime Commission.

“This has resulted in 3.6 million individual hits of ice being taken off our streets with a street value of $1.26bn,” NSW justice minister Michael Keenan told reporters in Sydney on Monday.

Officials said the operation began in December when Border Force examined a shipping container out of Hong Kong.

“That shipping container was found to contain gel bra inserts and hidden inside those gel bra inserts was 190 litres of liquid methamphetamine,” Commander Chris Sheehan said.

An additional 530 litres were found during the investigation by joint organised crime investigators.

“These drugs were concealed inside art supplies housed in five storage units in Sydney in the suburbs of Miranda, Hurstville, Padstow and Kingsgrove,” Sheehan said.

A 33-year-old Hong Kong national was charged over the original seizure. Following his arrest, another three Hong Kong nationals – a 59-year-old man, a 37-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman – were arrested and charged over the drugs located in the storage facilities.

“This has been a very good day for Australia law enforcement and a very bad day for the organised criminals that have targeting the Australian drug market,” Keenan said.

Australia has one of the world’s highest rates of methamphetamine usage. The Australian Crime Commission said in March 2015 that as many as 1.3m Australians had tried ice or speed, with nearly 400,000 using in the last 12 months.


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Research in 2014 from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed that while methamphetamine usage had remained stable since 2010, the proportion within that of users taking the crystal form – otherwise known as ice – had markedly increased.

The purity of the drug in its crystalline form, the high demand and the relative success of law enforcement in intercepting imports means the price of the drug is higher in Australia than nearly anywhere else in the world, police said.

Australians pay nearly US$500 a gram compared with an average street price in China of US$80 a gram. Wholesale prices in Australia ranged from $9,000 to $325,000 a kilogram, a report from the Australian Crime Commission found.

The massive profit margin has made Australia an attractive destination for criminal gangs involved in the manufacturing and trafficking of methamphetamines.

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Source: http://www.theguardian.com/australi...-seize-estimated-1bn-worth-of-methamphetamine
 
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You can tell based on the photo's of these guys that these guys are just the pawns and the main guys at the top of the pecking order are some where in Hong Kong gambling away now and discussing the next shipment as we speak.
 
Yeah, that's what I was thinking. At least one of the news articles suggested that the Australian police believe the apprehended parties to be higher ups in the distribution hierarchy, but I doubt it. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the higher ups are members of the CCP. You think the party officials aren't getting a taste of those billions of dollars of methamphetamine exports? And I gotta ask, Aussie BL'ers, do you think the reason so much speed is being imported into Aus. is because the drug fetches such a high price at the street level? I've heard street drug prices there are outrageous. It must be worth the producers to traffic as much as possible into the Australian market, since it fetches such a high price and is so god damn cheap to manufacture at scale.
 
Toddler had to sleep on floor because of so many stolen goods: Wagga police

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A NSW home was so full of allegedly stolen goods that a one-year-old had to sleep on the floor in front of the television.

Police found 22 laptops, 43 watches, 61 mobile phones as well as cameras, jewellery, gaming consoles, computer tablets and a ride-on mower inside a home in Wagga Wagga, ABC reports.

"We also found a one-year-old child asleep in front of the TV in the main living room of the house, probably because all these items were stored in rooms that would normally be given over to raising a child," Inspector Darren Cloake said.

"Certainly our hands are full with property recovered."

Police are now asking victims of theft to wait until all the goods had been itemised and photographed before they call.

A small quantity of ice was also allegedly found in the house on Mumford Street.

A 32-year-old was arrested at the home on an outstanding warrant.

Charges are anticipated for other occupants of the home.


Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/national/20...stolen-goods-wagga-police#V8GuF8tI2ozYARq4.99
 
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