The Australian/NZ Drug Busts Mega-Thread Part Deux

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25 charged in Riverland drug bust

Riverland police say they have charged 25 people, including alleged high-level drug dealers, with a variety of drug offences.

Seventy grams of methamphetamines, equating to about 3,500 street deals, has been seized in the six-and-a-half month operation.

Detective Sergeant Jason O'Malley says ecstasy tablets, cannabis plants and more than $15,000 in cash was also confiscated.

"I think every small thing that we do counts, a lot of it's ... to deter more people from taking over the business which is I guess our largest problem is - while there are people that are using the drugs there's going to be people taking advantage of them and selling," he said.

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Fury as drug dealer dances for joy

A DRUG importer who joked and danced after being freed has outraged parents who have lost children to drugs.

Malich Coory, 20, clowned around outside the County Court minutes after a judge accepted he was remorseful, depressed and anxious.

Coory imported the deadly new party drug "meow meow". A police raid on his home found large quantities, bagged ready to be sent around Australia, and $5000.

Prosecutors had argued for an immediate jail term.

Judge Jane Patrick sentenced Coory to 22 months, but freed him on a $500 recognisance release order, accepting that incarceration would be detrimental to his rehabilitation.

"I accept the seriousness of the offence has been brought home to you, and this has served as a wake-up call," she told him.

But outside court, the university student who'd stood shamefaced in the dock showed little sign of depression as he did a little jig and hugged and fooled around with his mates.

Cheryl Harper, whose granddaughter Cassandra overdosed after ingesting the deadly drug GHB last year, was upset by Coory's antics.

"I think it's disgusting, to be quite honest," she said.

People Against Lenient Sentencing spokesman Steve Medcraft said the sentence was an insult, and called on the DPP to appeal.

"What he's shown is how a lot of criminals view the court: it's a circus and a game," Mr Medcraft said.

"This bloke is peddling misery and gets a sympathetic hearing. He's obviously played the game."

Tony Trimingham, of Family Drug Support, lost son Damien, 23, to a heroin overdose. "I'm not happy about somebody who flouts the law, gets away with it and then laughs about it," he said.

Coory, of Greenvale, had pleaded guilty to importing 753g and possessing 1.57kg of "meow meow", or 4-MMC.

A psychologist said he was suffering depression and deeply regretted his drug dependence and role in importing the drug.

But Coory's father told the court he didn't believe his son was depressed.

"Meow meow" has been linked to 25 deaths in the UK.

Judge Patrick said it bore a similarity to ecstasy.

She said its legal status in Victoria was uncertain, and Coory was believed to be the first in Victoria to be prosecuted under federal law for importing and possessing it.

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[NZ] Prison visitor arrested after drugs found

A woman has been arrested after she was caught allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs to a New Plymouth Prison inmate.

A package of cannabis and cannabis oil, taped to a stone "no doubt in order to make it heavy enough to throw over the prison perimeter", was discovered during a vehicle search as she entered the prison grounds, prison manager Peter Madsen said.

The woman was charged with possession and will appear in New Plymouth District Court this month.

- NZPA

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Drugs found at Victorian music festival

MELBOURNE: Forty people have been detected trying to bring drugs into a music festival at Portsea, south of Melbourne, police say.

Police using sniffer dogs checked people entering the Hot BBQ Music Festival at Point Nepean on Saturday.

As a result, 34 people will face a drug diversion program, four were cautioned for possession of cannabis, and one person was charged with drug trafficking and was bailed by police while one person will be charged on summons.

The drugs found included cannabis, amphetamines and cocaine.

Police said 38 males and two females were detected, with most of them aged between 20 and 30.


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Chantoozie and former neighbours star Tottie Goldsmith 'busted with drugs'

FORMER Neighbours starlet and pop singer Tottie Goldsmith has been allegedly caught with drugs while going into a dance party.

Goldsmith, 48, was one of two women allegedly detected by drug dogs with an illicit substance entering the Hot Barbeque music festival at Point Nepean, near Portsea in Victoria, on Saturday.

The former Chantoozie may be forced to undergo a diversion program and seek therapy if she pleads guilty to carrying a drug, believed to be cocaine.

Goldsmith later partied with other celebrities at the VIP Beach Club marquee. Her agent last night refused to comment.

Police also found an "extraordinary" amount of drugs on buses used to ferry people to the event, dumped in a desperate bid to avoid detection.

Onlookers said there was chaos as the drug dogs swept the carpark.

It's understood people were trying to hide the drugs in panic, including in other people's bags.

Despite the visible operation, police nabbed 40 people trying to carry drugs into the event.

Of those, 34 revellers will be ordered to undertake the same program as Goldsmith is expected to be faced with, while one person was charged with drug trafficking and another will be charged on summons.

Four others were cautioned for possessing cannabis.

Police confirmed the suspected drugs found included cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis.

Over several hours, 38 men and two women were detected, mainly aged in their 20s.

Goldsmith's father, former nightclub owner and restaurateur Brian Goldsmith was at a VIP marquee with his daughter, which was hosted by Molly Meldrum and Lili Romano.

They joined a who's who of celebrities at the dance party including AFL stars Dane Swan, Heath Shaw, Josh Gibson and Brad Sewell.

Also in the VIP Beach Club marquee was tv presenter Ruby Rose, Nick Bracks and former footy WAGS Kate Neilson and Monika Clarke.

Police are targeting the top end of town as well as the general public in its quest to stop rampant illicit drug use.

Inspector Shayne Pannell said nobody was above the law under these operations.

"This type of behaviour will not go unnoticed by police and we will ensure anyone doing the wrong thing is caught," he said.

"As well as detecting drugs, these operations are also designed for harm minimisation."

Of those caught with drugs, four were aged under 20, 30 people were aged between 20 and 30, three people were aged between 30 and 40 and three were over 40-years-old.

At New Years Day dance party Summadayze, searches involving eight sniffer dogs resulted in 59 arrests from a crowd of 25,000.

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[belarki]

77 face drug charges at Big Day Out on the Gold Coast

POLICE are "generally pleased" after catching 77 people with drugs from a crowd of 50,000 at yesterday's Big Day Out.

The Gold Coast hosted the annual rockfest at the Gold Coast Parklands, near Southport.

In all, officers nabbed 77 people for drug offences, 87 for liquor offences and three for public nuisance.

In 2009, over 50 festival goers were caught with drugs.

"Police were generally pleased with crowd behaviours at this year's Big Day Out music concert," police said.

Superintendent Paul Ziebarth said a strong police presence had paid off.

"Those people interfering with others enjoyment of the event were swiftly evicted to allow people to enjoy the event in a safe environment," he said.

"It was a costly way to end the day for many of the evictees who forfeited their entry fee and also copped a $400 on the spot fine."

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Three in court over Melbourne cocaine bust

Three Melbourne men accused of importing 21 kilograms of cocaine into Australia have made a brief appearance in the Melbourne Magistrates Court.

Darren Hughes, 27, from Kew, David Saab, 37, from Balwyn North and Robert Remeeus, 27, from Vermont South were arrested by Australian Federal Police yesterday.

They have been charged with importing and attempting to possess a commercial quantity of cocaine.

The men made no application for bail and will return to court in May.

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Two charged over drug lab in home unit at Broadbeach Waters

TWO men have been charged with multiple drug offences after police found a clandestine laboratory and other drug-related material during a search of a Gold Coast home unit.

Officers executed a search warrant at the Holland Court, Broadbeach Waters unit about 8.50pm (AEST) yesterday, police said.

Two men, aged 40 and 47, from Hervey Bay, north of Brisbane, were charged with one count each of producing dangerous drugs, possession of relevant substances, and possession of relevant things.

They will appear before the Southport Magistrates Court today.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/two-charged-over-drug-lab-in-home-unit-at-broadbeach-waters/story-e6freuyi-1225994711126

 

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Late cyclist's father on drug charges

The father of the late world champion cyclist Jobie Dajka has faced the Adelaide District Court accused of being involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.

Stanley Bruce Dajka pleaded not guilty to six counts of laundering money and two of trafficking cannabis in February and March last year.

Jobie Dajka's uncle, Frank Peter Dajka, and another accused man, Wayne Bruce Edwards, also pleaded not guilty to the same charges.

Jobie Dajka, 27, died in April 2009. The former kierin world champion spoke publicly about his battle with alcoholism and depression before his death.

A cause of death has never been stated publicly.

A courts official said the coroner released a finding of 'medical cause of death' to the family and did not hold an inquest.

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Moree police seize drugs and guns in raid

Police from Barwon Local Area Command have seized drugs and guns during a raid on a home in Boston Street, Moree, in the state's north-west.

During a search of the house, police found two sawn-off shotguns, ammunition, amphetamines and a laptop that's believed to have been stolen.

Police were confronted by a 23-year-old inside the home, forcing them to use capsicum spray.

He was arrested and charged with hindering police and has been granted conditional bail to face Moree Local Court in March.

A 47-year old man has also been charged with possessing drugs and weapons offences, along with receiving stolen property.

He has been granted conditional bail to appear in Moree Local Court in April.

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[update] Three men charged for importing $4.2m of cocaine

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has arrested three men in Melbourne for allegedly importing 21kg of cocaine into Australia, concealed within steel machine parts.

A 27-year-old Kew man, 27-year-old Vermont man and 37-year-old Balwyn North man are scheduled to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today.

Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted a sea cargo consignment sent from Vancouver upon its arrival in Sydney on 17 January 2011.

The consignment tested positive for a prohibited substance and Customs and Border Protection alerted the AFP.

The AFP took control of the consignment and subsequently carried out a controlled operation.

It will be alleged in court that the 27-year-old Kew man took delivery of the consignment on 24 January 2011.

The 21 kilograms of cocaine seized in this operation has an estimated street value of approximately $4.2 million.

The men have been charged with the following offences:

Importing a border controlled drug contrary to section 307.1(1) of
the Criminal Code Act 1995 and;
Attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled
drug, namely cocaine, contrary to section 11.1(1) and 307.5(1) of
the Criminal Code Act 1995.
The maximum penalty for these offences is life imprisonment.

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[poledriver]

Drug Overdose At Sydney Big Day Out 2011

Reports have come in that a man in his 20′s was taken to hospital in a critical condition after a drug overdose. The man was taken to Westmead Hospital at around 10pm. A NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said he was being treated for a drugs overdose at the Sydney Big Day Out on Wednesday.
Read More

Police also reported that by 4.30pm on Wednesday:

They had 115 drug indications from sniffer dogs. Officers had issued 26 cautions for cannabis use. There were also four drug charges and two charges for assault on police officers. Despite the numbers, senior cops said most people were well behaved during the celebrations.

Yesterday was one of the hottest Sydney Big Day Out’s on record and this posed a heath threat in itself. To add to that problem we have police running around with sniffer dogs busting people for minor crimes like cannabis possession. Police were already made aware of the risk that having dogs can cause after the death of 17-year-old Gemma Thoms 2009 Perth Big Day Out. When people see sniffer dogs they become paranoid and can be tempted to eat a days worth of drugs in one go, other then be busted by the Police.

You’ve really got to ask questions of the police when they spend resources using sniffer dogs to arrest youths at music festivals while head officers are in bed with the people who supply them.

Assistant Commissioner Alan Clarke said:

“Generally, Australia Day celebrations across Sydney and throughout the state resulted in members of the public making the most of the opportunity to enjoy the various festivities in a safe and secure environment. Unfortunately, there are still some people who just don’t heed our message and seem intent on trying to spoil everyone’s party. In those instances, police responded quickly and arrested individuals who were allegedly behaving in a drunken or aggressive manner, or indulging in criminal behavior. “Most of the 180 arrests had “clear links” to irresponsible use of alcohol, he added.

Get rid of the dogs I say!!!

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Man charged with commercial supply of drugs – Pyrmont

A man has been charged with serious drug offences following a search warrant in Pyrmont yesterday.

About 5.30pm, police attached to Redfern Region Enforcement Squad allegedly observed a 30-year-old man involved in a drug transaction in Glebe.

Both men were arrested and taken to Newtown Police Station.

Police later executed a search warrant at the man’s unit in Pyrmont. Inside, police allegedly uncovered almost $17,000 worth of prohibited drugs including MDMA, GHB, LSD, cocaine, and ketamine.

Police also allegedly uncovered small amounts of testosterone, alprazolam and diazepam, as well as a large amount of cash alleged to be proceeds of crime.

The man was subsequently charged with three counts of commercial supply of prohibited drugs, two counts of supply prohibited drug, one count of supply small quantity of prohibited drug, three counts of possess prescribed restricted substance and one count of deal with proceeds of crime.

He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Bail Court this morning.

NSW Police

 

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Minister's husband charged with drug possession

NSW Education Minister Verity Firth has revealed her husband has been charged with drug possession.

Matthew Chesher has resigned from his job as chief of staff to NSW Roads Minister David Borger. It is believed he was allegedly found in possession of one ecstasy tablet.

"Last night my husband, Matthew Chesher, was arrested by the Pyrmont police and charged with minor drug possession," Ms Firth said in a statement today.

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"My husband has admitted to making a very big mistake.

"He co-operated fully with the police, was charged and was released."

This morning he resigned his employment with immediate effect, she said.

"I am angry, hurt and very disappointed," she said.

"But most of all I love Matthew and want to make sure he is OK.

"This is a very difficult time for our family and I ask for some privacy as we work through these issues."

NSW Roads Minister David Borger has expressed disappointment over his chief of staff, Matthew Chesher - the husband of Education Minister Verity Firth - being charged with drug possession.

Mr Chesher, who resigned his position on Saturday, was arrested and charged with possessing an ecstasy tablet at Glebe, in inner Sydney, on Friday.

In a statement today, Mr Borger said a senior staff member offered him his resignation on Saturday morning.

''I accepted it immediately,'' he said.

''He was a valued member of my staff, and I am disappointed about the circumstances which appear out of character.

''There is now a legal process underway, so it is inappropriate for me to comment further.''

Police said they arrested a 44-year-old man who was allegedly in the middle of a drug transaction with another man in Glebe about 5.30pm (AEDT) on Friday.

He was charged with drug possession and will appear before Downing Centre Local Court on April 1.

A 30-year-old man from Pyrmont was also charged with multiple drug offences.

NSW Premier Kristina Keneally has thrown her support behind Ms Firth.

‘‘Like most people, I was shocked to hear about Matthew Chesher’s arrest and resignation,’’ Ms Keneally said in a statement today.

Ms Keneally said she spoke with Ms Firth on this morning.

‘‘She was devastated and disappointed,’’ Ms Keneally said.

‘‘As a friend and colleague, Verity Firth has my support during this very difficult time.’’

AAP

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Firth on leave after husband's drug arrest

The New South Wales Education Minister is going on official leave after her husband was charged with a minor drug offence.

On Friday, Verity Firth's husband Matthew Chesher was arrested after allegedly buying an ecstasy pill from an accused dealer in Glebe, in inner Sydney.

He has been charged with drug possession and is due to face court in April.

Chesher has resigned from his position as chief of staff to the Roads Minister David Borger.

Ms Firth says she is hurt, angry and disappointed but wants to make sure her husband is okay.

The Premier Kristina Keneally says she is furious about the latest scandal to hit her government but that she would be supporting her friend and colleague during a difficult time.

In a statement yesterday Ms Keneally says the Education Minister will take three days official leave and return to her duties on Thursday.

It says in her absence the Attorney General John Hatzistergos will be the acting Minister.

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Men sentenced for drug production

Two men from Queensland's Gold Coast have been given suspended jail terms for helping another man establish a hydroponic cannabis crop.

The Supreme Court heard police uncovered more than 100 plants in a rented storage unit in the industrial suburb of Molendinar when they executed a search warrant last year.

The unit was rented by Ben Wright, who was given a 12-month suspended sentence in the Supreme Court last year.

Shawn Warren Campbell, 29, and Luke Edward Wright, 27, today pleaded guilty to drug production after their fingerprints were found on hydroponic equipment in the unit.

Campbell received a six-month suspended sentence while Wright was given a four-month suspended sentence.

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Australian jailed in Bali over cocaine find

An Australian man caught in Bali with almost four grams of cocaine has been sentenced to seven years' jail and fined almost $90,000.

Angus McCaskill was arrested in June at a supermarket near Bali's international airport with five plastic pouches of cocaine.

The 57-year-old says he will appeal against the court's decision.

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Ecstasy emerges as secret choice of middle age

PUBLICITY about people being caught with party drugs usually concentrates on those in their teens and 20s.

So when the Labor aide Matthew Chesher, 44, was charged with possessing one ecstasy tablet last week, the lid was lifted on a quite different phenomenon: the growing number of middle-aged ecstasy users.

The generation that championed the drug in the '80s and '90s is getting older.

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Source: National drug household survey.
Three out of 10 people in their 30s and 40s who previously tried ecstasy have used it in the past year, said Rebecca McKetin from the National Alcohol and Drug Research Centre.

They probably do it because they enjoy it, said Dr Alex Wodak, director of the Alcohol and Drug Service at St Vincent's Hospital.

''For many people life is quite stressful. A brief chemical vacation is one of the ways many people cope with the vicissitudes of life,'' he said.

But researchers say there is also a small increase of new users of ecstasy, a psycho-stimulant, in middle age.

Anecdotally, it is often women, said the drug educator Paul Dillon, who find ecstasy is becoming socially acceptable and seen as a better drug than alcohol.

''I meet a lot of women, particularly divorced women, people who are going out and having their second childhood,'' said Mr Dillon, from Drug and Alcohol Research and Training.

''I consistently hear the message from people that they don't see [ecstasy] as as bad as other things. It's easy to access. I hear the same about cocaine.''

According to the national drug household survey last conducted in 2007, the use of ecstasy by men in their 30s has risen from 0.6 to 6.3 per cent since 1995. Just under 1 per cent of men in their 40s used ecstasy in 2007. Dr McKetin expects up to 8 per cent of men and women in their 30s and 40s to use ecstasy by 2021.

''It's not so much that this drug is a standout in terms of people who continue to use the drug into adulthood. It's just that we've had this big wave of use in the '90s … so we are seeing quite unusual levels of use into that older age bracket emerging.''

Usually the drug is bought through friendship networks, not from street dealers, and people commonly buy more than one tablet at a time, said Mr Dillon.

Older drug users are under-researched, he says, because they rarely attract the attention of police and health authorities.

Two years ago the case of a couple in their 40s attracted media attention after they were prosecuted for drug possession at a Sydney nightclub, and explained they were sick of the suburban mum-and-dad lifestyle.

The case of Sam Ramoundos, who died, aged 35, from an overdose of GHB after partying with his wife and friends, led to a prominent inquest in 2004.

SMH Link

 

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Jailed drug offender blames wife's affair with ex-footballer

An ex-Hells Angel member who claims he turned to drugs because his wife allegedly was having an affair with a former footballer has been jailed.

Leo Eddy Hunt was sentenced in the Adelaide District Court to three years' jail with a non-parole term of 18 months for trafficking drugs.

The court was told that in June 2008 police found methylamphetamine and cocaine at Hunt's house, as well as a large amount of cash.

It heard Hunt was using drugs and was dealing at a street level to support his habit.

Judge Dean Clayton said Hunt started using drugs because of matrimonial difficulties.

Hunt claimed his wife allegedly had an affair with former Adelaide Crows footballer Tony McGuinness.

Judge Clayton said Hunt's prior convictions and a need to deter others from drug offending meant he could not suspend the jail term.

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Adelaide man fights Greek extradition

A man wanted in Greece over a big cannabis ring will challenge the Federal Attorney-General's decision to have him extradited from Australia, a court has heard.

Adelaide man Vasilios Konstantinou, 55, has faced the Magistrates Court seeking access to any documents the Government may have regarding claims he has already been exonerated in Greece.

His lawyer, Sam Doyle, said the only person convicted over the alleged drug ring so far had tried to point the finger at Konstantinou, but a Greek court ruled in that case that either Konstantinou did not exist or he was not involved.

A lawyer argued it was beyond the magistrate's powers to take that information into account.

The lawyer for the Attorney-General said a double jeopardy argument did not work because Konstantinou was not involved in Greek legal proceedings.

The magistrate granted Konstantinou permission to seek the documents.

The court also heard the man was planning a Federal Court review of the Attorney-General's decision last year to approve the extradition.

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