Organised Crime Squad smash Sydney ice ring
- 150kg shipment of ice from Hong Kong seized, one man arrested
- 17kg confiscated in second operation, seven men taken into custody
- Seizures of ice up 33% in 2013-14
- Ice accounts for 42% of all drugs intercepted by police
- Detectives say they have learned lots about money laundering
ALMOST 170kg of ice woth an estimated $110m have been taken off the streets in two dramatic Sydney busts.
Seven men were arrested yesterday after connected raids in the inner-city and north-west that unearthed a homemade drug laboratory in an apartment and 17 kilograms of ice.
The men, aged 21-31, were charged with offences related to large commercial drug supply and participating in a criminal group. They’ve been denied bail.
It comes after police showed off 150kg of ice inside a shipment of chemicals from Hong Kong.
The drugs, found by customs officers in Port Botany on April 29, were swapped and a fake batch delivered to a Hong Kong national, who was later charged.
12 PEOPLE NEEDED TO TAKE DOWN OUT-OF-CONTROL ADDICT
USERS FIND IT SO EASY TO SCORE A HIT
The arrests come amid the release of new figures showing NSW seizures of ice and similar amphetamines increased by 33 per cent in 2013-14.
The drugs now account for about 42 per cent of all drugs seized in the state.
And research out thir morning revealed that 90 per cent of users found it ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’ to get hold of the drugs.
The startling figures emerged in the Australian Crime Commission’s annual Illicit Drugs Report.
Dramatic pictures released by the police show yesterday’s arrests in a car park in Zetland.
The five men — ranging in age from 21 to 31 — were taken to Surry Hills Police Station and charged with the commercial supply of a prohibited drug and participating in a criminal group. All were refused bail to appear in Central Local Court today.
Properties in Zetland, Ryde and Pyrmont were then raided and police discovered a clandestine lab in an apartment in Ryde.
Inside the lab, investigators seized a further 10kg of ice, five kilograms of methylamphetamine oil and more than 40kg of precursor ingredients to produce the drug.
Two more men — aged 23 and 29 — were arrested during the raids and charged with a number of offences. They were refused bail to appear at Hornsby Local Court today.
Detectives also seized a further 12 encrypted mobile devices, cash, sim-cards and computers during the operation.
The raids were a part of Strike Force Sylvia, which has been investigating money laundering and the supply of Ice across the state.
The team has now taken more than $18.5 million of ice off the streets and seized $700,000 in cash and more than 50 encrypted mobile phones.
Sixteen people have been arrested since the strike force was formed.
Organised Crime Squad chief, Detective Superintendent Cook, said his investigators had been able to get an insight into how these organised crime groups operated.
“The investigation has been highly successful in dismantling a criminal network that we will allege was involved in the manufacture of ice, the trafficking of ice, the laundering of money and the facilitation of organised crime,” he said.
“We have learnt a lot about money laundering through this investigation; it has highlighted the crucial role played by facilitators such as accountants, the role of modern communications, and the misuse of company structures.”
“We are in a far better position to target money laundering offences now than 12 months ago, and are now better placed to impact and degrade the functioning of organised crime networks,” he added.
Originally published as Cops make huge score in war on ice
Source:
http://www.news.com.au/national/cri...-sydney-ice-ring/story-fns0kb1g-1227356677708