The Australian/NZ Drug Busts Mega-Thread Part Deux

[hoptis]

Sydney man charged over $15.7 million ice haul
Jane Metlikovec
June 25, 2008 11:40am

A SYDNEY man has been arrested for allegedly importing 45 kilograms- or $15.7 million worth- of the deadly drug ice.

Australian Federal Police and Customs officials detected the stash of ice precursor drug pseudoephedrine at Sydney Airport on June 10.

The drug was hidden in three glass boxes, which arrived at the airport's cargo facility from Lebanon.

A 28-year-old Guildford man will face Sydney Central Local Court later today charged with importing and attempting to possess the precursor chemical.

Police raided the man's home yesterday.

He now faces a maximum penalty of 25 years' jail, and could also be fined up to $550,000.

AFP National Manager Border and International Tim Morris said the seizure was important in stopping drug manufacture in Australia.

"This seizure has saved the community more than $11 million in associated health and social costs,'' Commander Morris said.

National Manager Cargo Operations, Catherine Asbridge, said a detection of this quantity shows that Customs is committed to preventing prohibited precursor chemicals from entering Australia.

"Combating the importation of precursor chemicals is an important element in the fight against illicit drugs in the Australian community, Ms Asbridge said.

Herald Sun

 

[TechKnow]

A SYDNEY man has been arrested for allegedly importing 45 kilograms- or $15.7 million worth- of the deadly drug ice.

Ahh ok, thats a lot of meth.

Australian Federal Police and Customs officials detected the stash of ice precursor drug pseudoephedrine at Sydney Airport on June 10.

Ahh ok, so its now not meth, but a precursor. So let me guess, the media has no.fucking.idea?

 

[lil angel15]

Fortified garage contained drugs
June 20, 2008

MORE than $250,000 worth of cannabis and a sophisticated hydroponics set-up have been seized from a fortified garage in Sydney's north-west, police say.

Acting on a tip-off, police stopped a car on Symonds Road at Dean Park about 7pm (AEST) yesterday, with a search revealing a quantity of cannabis secreted inside.

The officers executed a search warrant on a house on the same street at about 11.50pm (AEST), seizing a sophisticated hydroponics set-up and cannabis plants with an estimated street value of more than $250,000 hidden inside a fortified garage.

A 49-year-old man has been charged with possessing a prohibited drug and granted bail to appear at Blacktown Local Court on July 17

news.com.au

 

[lil angel15]

MP's son on drugs charges
June 28, 2008

THE youngest son of Queensland state Labor MP Pat Purcell has been arrested and charged with drug trafficking.

Daniel Purcell, 23, was charged today with drug trafficking outside a Fortitude Valley nightclub. He was allegedly found with 180 ecstasy tablets in his underpants.

Police prosecutor Mark Gordon said Purcell needed strict supervision and the court was told he posed a risk of reoffending.

Purcell was remanded in custody and will appear before the court again on Monday

news.com.au

 

[lil angel15]

Man charged with 17 drug and firearm offences – Quakers Hill
Sunday, 29 Jun 2008 05:30am

A man has been charged by police and will face court today following a raid on a house in Quakers Hill in Sydney’s west last week.

About 10pm, Friday 27 June 2008, police from Quakers Hill Local Area Command executed a search warrant at a house in Penza Place, Quakers Hill, following investigations into alleged drug activity at the premises.

During the search of the premises, officers allegedly located and seized an amount of drugs, suspected of being cocaine, crystal methylamphetamine (ice) and MDMA tablets (ecstasy).

It will also be alleged police located a shortened shotgun, a revolver, numerous firearm parts and accessories, a sum of cash and other items.

A 38-year-old Quakers Hill man was arrested at the scene and taken to Quakers Hill Police Station for questioning.

He was subsequently charged with 17 offences including supplying an indictable quantity of a prohibited drug, possessing a shortened firearm, possessing an unauthorised pistol, possessing a prohibited drug and goods in custody offences.

The man was refused bail and is due to appear at Parramatta Local Court today.

Source

 

[hoptis]

Pat Purcell's son Daniel gets bail on ecstasy charges
James O'Loan
July 01, 2008 12:00am

LABOR MP Pat Purcell collected his son from the watchhouse yesterday, after police allegedly found 160 ecstasy pills in the young man's underwear.

The former Emergency Services minister watched from the back of the court as his son Daniel Raymond Purcell, 23, stood in the dock facing trafficking, supply and possession charges that could send him to jail.

Mr Purcell, who will retire from his state seat of Bulimba at the next election, declined to comment as he walked from Brisbane Magistrate's Court yesterday.

He returned soon after in the family car to retrieve his son.

Purcell, who has yet to enter a plea, was bailed on condition he undertake random drug tests and reappear for committal mention on August 18.

Police arrested him outside The Met nightclub in Fortitude Valley, in Brisbane's inner-city, on Friday night after they claimed to have seen him acting suspiciously.

When searched, police allegedly found about 160 ecstasy pills hidden in his underpants.

If convicted, Purcell could face up to 25 years in jail.

Prosecutor Sgt Kerrilee Lovaszy told the court Purcell admitted selling about 140 pills to friends and acquaintances on the nightclub scene each week, to fund a weekly habit of 60 pills.

She said police had concerns he would reoffend but did not oppose bail.

Sgt Lovaszy claimed the family "were not aware of the problem before the weekend" and would give their full support to Purcell as he tried to overcome his addiction while living at the family's Balmoral home.

Mr Purcell listened as the prosecutor told the court that his son, who is unemployed, made full submissions about starting a "drug business" in February to support himself.

Ms Lovaszy alleged he bought about 200 pills per week from an unknown person.

Defending lawyer Mark Green, who successfully sought bail, said ecstasy was not as habit-forming as heroin.

"The drug involved is not a physically addictive drug like heroin. Rather, it's psychological," Mr Green said.

Purcell was also charged with possession of property suspected of being the proceeds of drug-related crime after police allegedly seized $300 from him at the time of arrest.

Pat Purcell was charged late last year with the common assault of two public servants, but the charges were dropped when he admitted assaulting them and apologised.

Courier Mail

 

[Klue]

Police swoop on cannabis harvest

A father and son have been remanded in custody over the discovery of a cannabis crop worth more than $45 million, one of the biggest found in Queensland.

A police raid on a remote, 4000 acre rural property in the state's Southern Downs this morninguncovered 18,000 cannabis plants, 60 200-litre drums of cannabis and another 400 kilograms of the crop stored nearby.

More than six kilometres of piping had been set up to irrigate the crop, which was spread over at least seven different areas, and a fully-loaded 9mm pistol was found "ready to go" in an easily-accessible spot.

Chief Superintendent Ross Barnett said the scale and sophistication of the "elaborate" operation was startling.

"This highlights to police that cannabis production is highly organised, it is dangerous, and it is a very profitable activity," Chief Superintendent Barnett said.

"And people will go to great lengths to protect their investment."

Officers from the State Crime Operations Command swooped on the Warroo property, west of Stanthorpe, after several months' work and a crucial tip-off from a member of the public, he said.

The 54-year-old man and his 28-year-old son lived in a house on the property but police searched for several hours before arrresting them.

The pair will next appear in court on August 27 after a brief appearance in the Warwick Magistrates Court today.

They face charges of producing and possessing a dangerous drug, unlawful possession of a handgun, possessing property suspected of being the proceeds of a crime and possessing property suspected to have been used in connection with the commission of a drug offence.

Police were still uncovering sections of cannabis on the property and had not yet determined for what market the crop was destined, Chief Superintendent Barnett said.

More than 30 officers remained on the property and would burn the crop after it was certified, he said.

LINK

Apparently some people took photos of the crop and dobbed the father and son in.

There is a series of photos in another article in The Courier Mail


LINK

Edit: Here is one of the photos

 

[lil angel15]

Man guilty of trafficking $650k worth of drugs
Posted Fri Jul 4, 2008 9:05pm AEST

A Launceston man found with drugs worth more than $600,000 in his home has been sentenced to three years jail.

Mark Joseph Daley had pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking.

Police searched the 45-year-old man's home in January this year, discovering nearly 500 grams of methylamphetamine, more than one kilogram of the party drug ecstasy and small amounts of cannabis.

They also found snap-lock plastic bags and several sets of scales with traces of drugs on them.

In sentencing today, Chief Justice Ewan Crawford said the estimated street value of the drugs was more than $650,000.

He said it was a bad case of drug trafficking and there was little doubt Daly was seeking to make a lot of money.

Daley will be eligible for parole after 18 months.

Link

 

[hoptis]

Police seize guns, luxury car in drug raids
Adrian Lowe
July 17, 2008 - 8:46AM

A major drug ring has been smashed this morning with the arrests of four people in Melbourne's northern suburbs, police say.

Luxury cars, motorbikes, cash and firearms were seized in raids on homes and businesses in Greenvale, Thomastown, Glenroy and Somerton as part of an investigation into an ice syndicate.

Police believe the drug ring is sourcing ice in Sydney and selling it in Melbourne.

Two men, believed to be associates of the four arrested today, were arrested last week when police in Wodonga found two parcels of ice, each weighing half a kilogram, in the pair's car.

Those drugs had a street value of $1.4 million, drug taskforce head Detective Inspector Doug Fryer said.

He described this morning's operation as "successful" and said investigations, which had already been ongoing for five months, would continue.

"We've still got a lot of inquiries to make,'' Detective Inspector Fryer said. "Certainly we're pleased we've stopped this syndicate ... It seems this is an established network of distribution.''

A 48-year-old Greenvale man was escorted from his home, a double-storey cream brick house, by police about 11.30am with a jacket draped over his head.

During the raid on the house, police seized a number of assets including unlicensed firearms, a Mercedes-Benz and a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Four teenagers were inside the house when it was raided.

Police also conducted a search this morning on a nearby reception centre, said to be owned by the Greenvale man.

Detective Inspector Fryer said the arrests had shut down the ring and would make a dent in the local drug market.

"It certainly makes a dent... We believe certainly by stopping this syndicate, we've stopped a large amount of ice being distributed to the street,'' he said.

He added the cars were seized because it was believed they were the proceeds of crime. Inquiries will continue into the status of the home that was raided.

The Greenvale man, a 45-year-old Glenroy man and two 34-year-old men from New South Wales are being interviewed at the St Kilda Road police complex this afternoon.

They are expected to be charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence.

The Age

 

[lil angel15]

Drugs seized during police blitz
July 19, 2008

Sixteen people have allegedly been caught carrying drugs in the first night of a police crackdown on anti-social behaviour in Melbourne.

Police say they discovered heroin, cannabis and ecstasy in an operation that concentrated on Flinders Street train station and the surrounding area.

Dogs were used to detect drugs as part of the joint operation between the Safe Streets Taskforce and transit police.

Transit police also patrolled rail stations from early in the evening to deal with drunkenness, assaults and other public order offences.

Another person was arrested on weapons charges and 16 people were given penalty notices for various infringements. Police were not able to confirm how many drug-related charges had been laid.

The operation will continue tonight

theage.com.au

 

[hoptis]

Plane passenger 'hid heroin in sneakers'
Mex Cooper
August 6, 2008

A cunning canine has stopped an accused heroin trafficker from allegedly trying to import heroin into Melbourne hidden in his sneakers.

An Australian Federal Police spokeswoman said a 46-year-old American was arrested after being stopped by an Australian Customs detector dog at Melbourne Airport yesterday.

The male was sniffed out after arriving on a flight from Vietnam.

The spokeswoman alleged X-rays revealed a package of white powder hidden under the sole of each of the man's shoes.

She said initial tests allegedly indicated the concealed packages contained more than one kilogram of heroin but forensic analysis would confirm the quantity and nature of the suspect substance.

The male yesterday faced Melbourne Magistrates Court charged with importing and possessing a marketable quantity of heroin and was remanded in custody to appear again on October 28.

He faces a maximum penalty of 25 years' jail and/or a fine of $550,000.

The Age

 

[hoptis]

The massive recent bust has it's own thread here

 

[hoptis]

Teen 'caught with 51 ecstasy pills'
August 11, 2008 12:01am
Article from: The Daily Telegraph

A TEENAGER faces serious drug supply charges after being caught with 51 pills believed to be ecstasy at a Western Sydney dance party.
The 17-year-old girl from Baulkham Hills, was one of 24 people arrested in a major operation at Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday night.

Police raided the Utopia dance party being attended by more than 5000 people. It is believed a drug sniffer dog signalled the girl possibly had drugs on her, and when police searched her they found the 51 pills.

She was charged with supplying and indictable quantity of a prohibited drug.

Police seized more than 210 suspected ecstasy pills at the dance party as well as 40 capsules of speed and small quantities of methamphetamines (ice) and marijuana.

At 8.30pm (AEST), four police drug detection dogs and teams of uniformed police on foot and bicycles were deployed around Sydney Olympic Park for the operation, which targetted drug supply and possession.

Police made a total of 27 drug seizures that night, including 110 pills believed to be ecstasy that were found in the possession of one man.

Two men were found to have 11 pills each, and another two men had eight pills each in their possession.

Six people were charged with supplying a prohibited drug.

Also, a man wanted on malicious damage and breach of apprehended domestic violence order matters was arrested, as was a youth who was allegedly breaching bail curfew.

Complaints about a small number of juveniles questioned at the dance party would be followed up by police.

Flemington Commander Chief Superintendent Brett Henderson hailed the operation as a success.

"Operations of this sort that involve the NSW Police Force and community are important in ensuring that people can enjoy themselves in a safe, drug-free, environment," he said.

"It is also good to ensure that we have stopped such dangerous, addictive drugs from being distributed to juveniles as well as the general community and we are very pleased to have had the co-operation of the general community. It is a very pleasing result."

The Utopia dance party has been promoted as Australia's most impressive rave event.

Promotional material for the show said it would feature the most advanced laser lighting technology in the country and the biggest sound system in the Southern Hemisphere.

Last year, a young Sydney dance teacher, Annabel Catt, died after taking ecstasy at the Good Vibrations festival in Centennial Park.

The 17-year-old girl arrested on Saturday night is due to appear in Parramatta Children's Court on September 2.

Daily Telegraph

 

[resistance]

Daily Telegraph

that article is full of misconceptions, misinterpretations, improperly acquired information and lies.

but thats the media for you 8)

 

[Sustanon]

Daily Telegraph

Thats why im scared going ravin lol

 

[js2k6]

High roller Rob Karam charged in $2bn drug plot

By Keith Moor

August 16, 2008 12:31am
Article from: Herald Sun

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BANNED Crown casino high roller Rob Karam has been charged over a plot to import six tonnes of chemicals to make ice and speed with a street value of $2 billion.
The conspiracy to import pseudoephedrine charge is in addition to those laid against him last week over the world's biggest ecstasy bust.

Mr Karam, 41, of Kew, was one of Crown's top 200 gamblers until Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon banned him from the casino last year.

Australian Federal Police have also charged Fadl Maroun, 26, over the attempt to smuggle six tonnes of pseudoephedrine into Melbourne from China.

Mr Maroun, of Preston, is also facing charges over the world's biggest ecstasy bust, the 4.4-tonne AFP seizure in Melbourne of 14.5 million pills worth $450 million.

He and Mr Karam are due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates' Court to face charges in March.

AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty yesterday revealed joint operations between the AFP, Australian Customs and various state police forces had led to 38 people being charged in the past month.

Mr Keelty said the charges related to 14.6 tonnes of drugs with a street value of $3 billion.

He said 23 of the arrests related to the world's biggest ecstasy bust in Melbourne.

Two months before he was charged over the ecstasy and the six-tonne pseudoephedrine plot, Mr Karam revealed he was about to fight the lifetime gambling ban imposed on him by Ms Nixon.

"I maintain my innocence and I'd like to know why I was excluded, because the Chief Commissioner has not given me a reason," he said.

Section 74 of the Casino Control Act allows Ms Nixon to ban people from entering or remaining in a casino.

The Herald Sun last week revealed a global drug syndicate was allegedly involved in repeated attempts to flood the Australian market with world-record hauls of ecstasy.

That global network is allegedly dominated by a Calabrian organised crime gang.

Australian Customs chief executive Michael Carmody yesterday revealed the seizure of 662kg of pseudoephedrine worth $52 million.

It arrived in Sydney by ship on August 8 from Thailand, hidden in fruit juice cartons.

Four Sydney men were charged yesterday.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24189798-2,00.html

^^ yet another sad day for us all


edit: i found a picture.

 

[js2k6]

Major drug seizure in Australia

Updated August 15, 2008 15:20:32

Australian federal police and customs officials say they have seized enough pseudoephedrine to make more than $US 50 million dollars worth of the illegal drug ice.

The CEO of customs,Michael Carmody, says the 662 kilograms of pseudoephedrine were packed inside 45 boxes labelled as fruit juice which were shipped in to Sydney from Thailand.

"This container was targetted by our officers as a result of intelligence that came out of an operation being undertaken by the New SOuth Wales Crime Commission."

The AFP says it is enough to make a tonne of ice with a street value of $AUS52. 8 million.

The drugs were substituted with a dummy substance and tracked as they were loaded onto a truck and taken to a warehouse at Wetherill Park.

Yesterday police arrested and charged a 21 year old Oakhurst man, a 28 year old from Castle Hill, a 21 year old St Marys man, and a 30 year old from Blacktown.

They are due appear at a central local in Sydney.

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200808/s2336433.htm?tab=australia

^^ this was the original report aswell

 

[hoptis]

Mother 'hid drugs inside baby's nappy'
August 19, 2008 03:43pm

POLICE have charged a woman over an attempt to smuggle drugs inside her baby's nappy into a Queensland prison.

The 20-year-old woman was visiting a 22-year-old male prisoner at Woodford Correctional Centre, north of Brisbane, when prison officers searched her 10-month-old baby boy's nappy.

They found a concealed water balloon containing two tablets, believed to be Subutex - an opiate used to treat heroin addictions.

Corrective Services Minister Judy Spence said officers searched the woman's Bundamba home and located a drug utensil and a clip seal bag of green leafy material inside a child's backpack.

The woman and the prisoner have been charged with supply of a dangerous drug within a correctional facility and the woman is also facing charges of possession of a dangerous drug and possession of an implement.

Both are scheduled to appear in Caboolture Magistrates Court on September 25.

News.com.au

 

[lil angel15]

$100k of cannabis seized near NSW-Vic border
Posted Fri Sep 12, 2008 2:37pm AEST

Police have seized drugs worth about $100,000 from a car at Balranald in southern New South Wales near the Victorian border.

Police stopped and searched the car on the Sturt Highway about 8:00am AEST.

They say they found a suitcase of plastic bags containing about 10 kilograms of cannabis in the boot.

A 30-year-old man from Hornsby, in Sydney, has been charged with supplying a commercial quantity of drugs, dealing with property suspected to be the proceeds of crime and driving while disqualified.

He is due to appear in court at Deniliquin today.

Last night's arrest was part of an ongoing operation established earlier this year by the Deniliquin and Barrier local area commands.

Operation Road Ranger is targeting the trafficking of illicit drugs interstate

abc.net.au

 

[hoptis]

Police raids in Warrnambool - nine on drugs, amphetamine charges
Kate Rose
September 17, 2008 06:50am

POLICE have swooped on nine people who are allegedly members of a drug syndicate in the state's south-west.

The ongoing investigation, Operation Option, has been focusing on alleged drug activity in Warrnambool and nearby areas.

Local police, working with members from Portland, Hamilton, Colac, Ballarat and Geelong conducted a series of early morning raids on addresses in the Warrnambool area yesterday.

The arrests were the culmination of Operation Option which commenced in early 2008.

Five woman and four men, all from Warrnambool, have been charged with conspiracy to traffic a commercial quantity of amphetamine and have been remanded in custody to appear at Warrnambool Magistrates Court tomorrow.

Herald Sun