IN THE early hours of August 19, police began a series of raids on properties in the Blacktown area as part of a major operation into the supply and manufacturer of the drug ice.
Among them was a home in Sullivan St, Blacktown, where a clandestine lab allegedly used for large scale drug manufacture was discovered in the garage.
For residents of the quiet suburban street, however, the raid which police say smashed a major drug syndicate, left them shocked and disturbed. One neighbour, who asked to remain anonymous, said the raid was “very out of the blue”. “(Sullivan St) is just a normal, middle class suburban area,” she said. “We’re pretty friendly and say hello to each other but you’d be naive not to expect anything going on in your street, no matter where you live.”
Another neighbour had lived on the street for nearly 50 years and hoped the arrest would not deter people from moving into the area. “I get on with the neighbours and was pretty surprised because I wouldn’t think it would happen in our street,” he said.
More than 200 items associated with the manufacture of illicit drugs, including two 50L reaction vessels, were allegedly found at the Sullivan St property. High-powered firearms including a Mac 11 submachine gun with a silencer, a .338 calibre sniper rifle and an AR15 military style assault rifle were also seized. Police also allegedly seized 25kg of MDP2P, a prohibited drug used in the manufacture of MDMA, and more than 10,000 ecstasy pills.
A woman and three children — aged 5, 9 and 11 — were present in the home at the time of the raid. The man, Joseph Andary, 41, was arrested at the property.
The raids on August 19 also allegedly uncovered a second drug lab at Marayong and 500kg of methylamine at a Wentworthville storage facility capable of making of hundreds of kilograms of ice or MDMA.
“Not only do these clan labs produce substances that destroy lives, they are highly combustible, pollutant-riddled properties that pose a direct threat to the community around them,” NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said. “The material seized (from the Blacktown lab) could have produced another 200,000 individual deals of ice ... we got to it before it went out on the streets.”
Blacktown crime manager Detective Inspector Paul Tickner warned people involved in drug manufacture that police were closing in.
“We’ll come knocking on their door and they better bring a toothbrush because they’ll be off to jail,” he said. “It’s only a matter of time.”
Blacktown commander Superintendent Gary Merryweather said police were always vigilant to suspected drug activity and concerned about the impact of ice in the community.
“To young people — ice consumes you and destroys you,” he said.
Statewide, possession and use of amphetamines increased by 6.4 per cent from March 2013 to 2014.
Ice can cause damaged teeth, psychosis, hallucinations and skin lesions. Insp Tickner said users could become violent and may commit further crimes.
Blacktown police charged five men following a series of raids on August 6 by Strike Force Laudanum to investigate the supply of crystalline methamphetamine in the Blacktown area.
- Six properties were raided on August 19
- A home in Sullivan St, Blacktown
- An apartment complex in Erith St, Blacktown
- A granny flat on Ellam Drive, Seven Hills
- A home in Turvey Rd, Blacktown
- A home on Seven Hills Rd, Seven Hills
- A storage facility in Wentworthville
- Police allegedly seized 10,000 ecstasy pills, seven firearms, and 500kg of methylamine, used to make methamphetamine (ice) and MDMA (ecstasy)
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...037052806?nk=985f37ce57b6c1ba4759905ac1d12c1e
