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The Australian/NZ Drug Busts Mega-Thread Part I

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Raids net drugs, cash
August 10, 2007 06:39am

DRUGS and more than $80,000 in cash have been seized in two raids in Sydney's CBD, police said.

Police raided a flat in Liverpool Street and one in Oxford Street, Surry Hills, at about 8pm (AEST) yesterday.

Police allegedly found more than $80,000 in cash at the Oxford Street home, as well as more than 200 grams of ice worth $64,000, ecstasy worth $60,000, cannabis and a bottle of liquid believed to be the drug Rush.

About five grams of ice and 100 grams of white powder were also seized from the Liverpool Street unit, police said.

A 39-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman, both from Surry Hills, have been charged with two counts of supplying a prohibited drug greater than an indictable amount, possessing prohibited drugs and dealing in the proceeds of crime.

They have been refused bail to appear in Central Local Court today.

A 35-year-old man who allegedly arrived at the Oxford Street apartment with $7000 in cash while police were there has also been charged with goods in custody.

He was granted bail to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on September 14.

News.com.au
 
Drugs worth $400k seized
August 10, 2007 06:32am

CANNABIS worth $400,000 has been seized in two raids south of Sydney, police said.

Two men have been charged following raids on two houses at Kanahooka, near Dapto, at about 9.30am, (AEST) yesterday.

Police allege they found hydroponics inside two hidden rooms of one house, seizing 109 cannabis plants and 25 kg of cannabis head.

In a the raid on a second property, hydroponics were was found behind a false wall in the garage, police said.

A quantity of cannabis head, 15 mature plants and cash were allegedly seized.

A man aged 69 and another, 45, have been arrested. Both were refused bail in Wollongong Local Court on numerous drug charges, including enhanced indoor cultivation of cannabis for commercial purposes.

Herald Sun
 
Bikie held after gun, drug raid
10Aug07

A LONE Wolves motorcycle gang member has been charged after police found a sophisticated underground drug bunker on a Kyogle Road property in northern NSW.

Peter James Hasrouny, 40, of Kunghur, appeared in Tweed Heads Local Court for a bail hearing yesterday facing 16 separate drug and weapons charges.

The Tweed-Byron Target Action Group uncovered a stash of illegal firearms and more than $100,000 worth of cannabis plants after raiding Mr Hasrouny's Kyogle Road property on Wednesday.

The raid came just a week after police discovered two suburban hydroponics set-ups at Terranora and Pottsville and a month after the president of the Lone Wolves bikie gang was arrested in a Lismore raid.

Mr Hasrouny's charge sheet includes enhanced cultivation of cannabis for commercial purposes, possession of a prohibited firearm and unregistered weapons, along with possession of pseudoephedrine, which is used to make speed.

Police said that during the raid they uncovered explosives, equipment to detonate explosives, an explosives user's manual, 5000 rounds of ammunition and prohibited weapons including throwing stars, rifles, handguns and large knives.

A further search of the property revealed a concealed underground bunker housing an elaborate hydroponic set-up containing cannabis seedlings and 20 mature cannabis plants with an estimated street value of more than $100,000.

Detective Sergeant Frank Natoli said the bunker was 20m long, 3m wide, 5m deep and housed a large amount of hydroponic equipment.

In court yesterday, police prosecutor Sergeant Robert Hanzic said police opposed bail and Mr Hasrouny should only be released under exceptional circumstances.

Representing himself, Mr Hasrouny -- sporting a shaved head and dark beard -- said he accepted police evidence. With his de facto partner watching on, he said he should be released because he had a medical condition and as he did not have a passport he could not flee the state.

But Magistrate Peter Muldoon rejected Mr Hasrouny's statements, saying his lengthy criminal record spoke for itself.

Mr Hasrouny was formally refused bail and the case was adjourned back to the Tweed court on Monday.

Det Sgt Natoli said the hydroponics set-up in the underground bunker was very sophisticated.

He said Wednesday's bust was not connected to raids on other Lone Wolf bikie gang members in Lismore last month. The president of the Lone Wolf bikie gang was among three men arrested in July's raids.

Gold Coast News
 
Man, 73, charged with drug trafficking
August 10, 2007 - 9:14AM

A 73-year-old Townsville man has been charged with drug trafficking following a police raid in north Queensland.

Police said a quantity of cannabis and cash was found during a search of premises in Vincent, Townsville.

The 73-year-old man has been charged with a string of charges including one count each of trafficking, supply and possession of a dangerous drug.

A 43-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man, both also from Townsville, were charged with possession of a dangerous drug.

The 24-year-old man has accepted a drug diversion while the other two are due to appear in the Townsville Magistrates Court on August 29.

SMH
 
Police seize drugs, cash
Jim Kelly
August 10, 2007 10:00am

POLICE have seized drugs and a large amount of cash during a search of two men pulled over in a traffic stop in North Perth overnight.

A 43-year-old passenger was allegedly carrying $17,000, 65gms of ecstasy and amphetamine.

He is due to appear in Perth Magistrates Court today on drug charges.

Police pulled over the Holden Statesman on Bulwer St at about 11pm.

The 36-year-old driver has been charged with fixing false plates to the car and driving without a licence.

Perth Now
 
Three charged over port ecstasy haul
August 10, 2007 - 2:14PM

Three men have appeared in court charged over the seizure of 40kgs of the drug ecstasy at Sydney's Port Botany.

Terrence John McCraw, 56, of Sefton, James Lattouf, 57, of Yagoona, and Ronald Victor Stanley, 59, of Guildford, have been refused bail in Sydney's Central Local Court.

Each man faces one count of possessing a commercial quantity of a prohibited import, namely MDMA, or ecstasy.

Australian Federal Police arrested the men at Sydney's Port Botany about 10pm (AEST) on Thursday as they drove away from a wharf.

A fourth man, who is yet to appear in court, was allegedly arrested on board a ship. Charges have not yet been laid against him but he was expected to face court later on Friday.

Stanley, whom the court heard had worked for Patrick Stevedores for 37 years, was the only man to apply for bail.

"The seriousness of the offence and strength of the case must be issues of great concern to the court today," solicitor Karen Beresford said.

"However, Mr Stanley is asking that the court grant him bail today."

Ms Beresford said Stanley did not know what was contained in the bags found by police, presumably those alleged to have contained the illicit drug.

Magistrate Allan Moore denied the bail application, referring to police facts alleging Stanley had been involved with "the loading of product" into vehicles.

"We are looking at some 40kgs of drug with a substantial street value," he said.

Bail for was formally refused for Lattouf and McCraw.

All three matters were adjourned until September 26.

The AGE
 
Guns, drugs seized in raid near Cobram
Posted August 10, 2007 14:30:00

Police found guns and drugs during raids yesterday on seven properties around Cobram in north-east Victoria.

Taser stun guns, other firearms, cannabis and ingredients used to make amphetamines were recovered.

Sergeant Jason Kelly from Shepparton police says the raids were the result of a two-year investigation and six people were arrested.

He says police have interrupted a major drug manufacturing and distribution ring in northern Victoria.

"Operation Xavier has been going on for the last couple of years and information has continually come in from members of the public culminating in the search warrants yesterday," he said.

"Yes, it was predominantly cannabis, there were also other items seized that indicated the manufacture of amphetamine."

ABC Online
 
Woman charged for importing heroin 'internally'
August 11, 2007 02:17am

A 50-YEAR-OLD woman has been charged with importing heroin by concealing two packages in her body at Melbourne Airport.

The North Melbourne woman appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court yesterday to face charges related to almost 100g of heroin found inside her anus.

Customs detained the women on suspicion of concealing drugs soon after her arrival from Vietnam on Thursday.

The woman, an Australian citizen, was taken to hospital by Australian Federal Police for an internal medical examination.

“She was found to be internally concealing two 10cm-long packages containing a white powder believed to be heroin,” an AFP spokesman said.

“The exact weight and type of drugs is still to be determined by forensic testing.”

The woman, who did not apply for bail, was remanded in custody to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on November 1.

The maximum penalty for importing marketable drugs is 25 years imprisonment and/or a $550,000 fine.

News.com.au
 
Pills flung into prison over fence, court told
Belinda Cranston
August 12, 2007

A WOMAN used tennis balls she threw over the fence of a prison exercise yard to provide her boyfriend with cannabis and pills, Parramatta Bail Court was told yesterday.

Jaclynn Milloy, 20, who was charged with supplying a prohibited drug, arrived at the Silverwater Correctional Facility in a vehicle driven by her mother about noon last Friday, the court was told.

In facts tendered to the court it was said that NSW Corrective Services officers searched the vehicle and located a tennis ball in the boot of the car.

The tennis ball was wrapped in blue tape and had been cut. Inside the tennis ball were 192 pills with a net weight of 36.6grams. The ball also contained 5.7grams of cannabis.

The court was told the Corrective Services Department had been monitoring phone conversations between Milloy and her prisoner boyfriend, Bilal Assaad, since early July.

During the calls it was alleged the couple conspired and planned the process of throwing drug-filled tennis balls over the fence into the prison's exercise yard.

Police allege Milloy was told by Assaad to practise throwing a tennis ball over her house at Raby, near Campbelltown, because the house was of similar height to the fence surrounding the jail.

It is not known how many times Milloy succeeded in throwing the balls over the fence before she was detected.

Magistrate Allan Clark granted Milloy bail on the condition that she not enter or go within 500metres of any correctional centre.

Bail conditions included $2000 being deposited in cash.

Milloy was ordered to reappear at Parramatta Local Court on October 11.

SMH
 
Dogs sniff out drugs
13.08.2007

A TEAM of seven police dogs helped track down 23 people in possession of or trafficking drugs in the Whitsundays during a four-day operation.

Operation Gable, which involved Whitsunday, Mackay and Brisbane police, targeted people at Proserpine and Hamilton Island airports, licensed premises at Airlie Beach and through search warrants in the lead-up to Hamilton Island Race Week. The operation focused on trafficking and possession of all illegal drugs, Operation Gable field commander Inspector Bruce Batterham said yesterday. "Twenty-three people were caught in possession of cannabis and other illegal drugs and 45 charges were laid by police.

It was just part of being proactive during Hamilton Island Race Week, to send a clear message that illegal drugs are unacceptable," Insp Batterham said. Hamilton Island Race Week, to be held from this Friday to Saturday, August 25, is one the country's largest offshore yachting regattas.

"There is an influx of population and drugs coming into the area and they are taking advantage of an easy market," Insp Batterham said. Operation Gable involved the Brisbane Drug Detection Dog Squad, Mackay Dog Squad, Australian Customs Service, Mackay Tactical Crime Squad, Mackay and Whitsundays' Criminal Investigation branches and uniformed police from Mackay and the Whitsundays.

Dog squads were deployed at Proserpine and Whitsunday airports on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Friday night licensed premises along Shute Harbour Road at Airlie Beach were targeted, and police with warrants conducted searches in the Whitsundays throughout the operation which ended on Saturday.

"The most serious charge was drug trafficking," Insp Batterham said.

"Im not surprised at the number of people caught in the operation at all considering the number of people we searched; there were about 400 people a day passing through the airports."

Police would not reveal how many people were arrested at the airports.

People charged with possessing and trafficking drugs would appear in Proserpine Magistrate's Court over the coming weeks, Insp Batterham said.

Daily Mercury
 
Police seize drugs in weekend sting
August 13, 2007 12:00:00

Cannabis, methylamphetamine and ecstasy tablets have allegedly been seized in a weekend raid on a Dalby motel room.

Police raided the motel unit in Drayton Street early Saturday morning, and arrested two Dalby men, aged 25 and 37.

The men have been charged with drug offences and will appear in court this morning.

Police will allege that cash, along with 0.5 kilograms of cannabis, 0.75 ounces of methyl-amphetamine and more than 100 tablets of methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or ecstasy, were seized.

Kevin Goan, who is in charge of the Dalby CIB, says the investigation is continuing.

"We're happy that we've removed that quantity of drugs from the community," he said.

"We'd only seize on the opportunity to remind people that if they have information on like activities they should contact local police or Crime Stoppers."

Police also raided two premises at Dalby early Sunday morning.

ABC Online
 
500 ecstasy pills 'found in jeans'
Dylan Welch
August 13, 2007 - 1:35PM

A British citizen entering Australia has been charged over the attempted importation of 500 ecstasy tablets hidden in the waistband of his jeans.

The 29-year-old arrived at Sydney Airport yesterday on a flight from Dubai, and was picked out by customs officers for a baggage search.

During the search, Customs alleges the man confessed to carrying the pills and a small quantity of cocaine, which were sewn into the waistband of his trousers.

He was handed over to the Australian Federal Police, who charged him with two counts of importing a marketable quantity of an illegal drug.

He is expected to face Central Local Court today

SMH
 
'Stupid' drug mule gets eight years
13th August 2007, 14:45 WST

A “stupid” South African man who smuggled $1.5 million of heroin in his stomach from Dubai to Perth has been sentenced to eight years in jail.

George Wilfred Lionel Budd, 25, was sentenced in the West Australian District Court today after pleading guilty to attempting to import a border controlled drug into Australia.

Budd, who travelled on a British passport, was stopped by customs officers after he arrived at Perth airport on December 10, 2006, because he seemed nervous.

After Australian Federal Police took Budd for a medical examination, he passed 100 cylindrical objects, each about five or six centimetres long, containing a total of 794 grams of heroin, cut with other materials.

Commonwealth prosecutor Darren Renton told the court the street value of the 417.9 grams of pure heroin Budd carried was at least $1.5 million.

Budd, who is married with a two-year-old daughter, told police he had met a man called Mike in Dubai who offered him $US7,000 to courier the drugs, Mr Renton said.

Budd's lawyer Justine Fisher said her client had gone to Dubai with a friend who had promised to help him find construction work.

She said Budd had drug problems and wanted to get out of South Africa to make a fresh start for his family.

He found it difficult to get work because he was poorly educated as a consequence of being barred from school for cannabis use.

Ms Fisher said Budd had been desperate when he was asked to become a drug mule because the friend he had relied on was arrested in Dubai on unrelated charges.

Chief Judge Antoinette Kennedy said there was “a degree of stupidity” involved in Budd swallowing the objects containing the drugs.

“It could come apart inside of him ... he could die.”

Telling Budd he was “naive and stupid“, Judge Kennedy sentenced him to eight years jail.

He must serve four and a half years before he is eligible to apply for parole.

The West Australian
 
Police in Perth seize 4 kilograms of cannabis
August 14, 2007 12:03:00

Police have charged a man with a range of drug offences after allegedly finding around four kilos of cannabis in his home in Beechboro.

Police say they attempted to stop a car they believe was stolen as it was being driven away from the man's home yesterday afternoon.

The abandoned the pursuit when the driver crossed to the wrong side of the road.

Police say they returned to the home and found bags of cannabis stashed throughout the property.

A 41-year-old man has been charged with possessing drugs.

He is due to appear in the Midland Magistrates Court today.

ABC Online
 
DRUG SWOOP
By DI THOMAS

POLICE believe they have closed down a major supplier in Wodonga’s illegal drug industry after a series of pre-dawn raids yesterday.

Four men and one woman were arrested and questioned by police who raided four homes.

Det Sen-Sgt Lindsay Cummins, of Wangaratta police, described the raids as a breakthrough.

The police action followed an investigation over the past seven months into the trafficking of drugs in Wodonga, specifically amphetamine.

“We think it has been a big breakthrough in the amount of drugs going around the town and we hope it can have an effect on putting a stop to the industry,” he said.

“But we seem to make one arrest and there is another person in their place soon after.”

Sen-Sgt Cummins said as part of Operation Senses, police had searched homes in the city’s centre and west from 6.30am yesterday.

Police seized a small amount of cannabis and some powder which will be analysed but which was thought to be amphetamine.

The raids involved up to 15 plainclothes and uniformed officers from Wodonga and Wangaratta, the region’s division tasking and criminal investigation units and a sniffer dog.

Sen-Sgt Cummins said the raids were the culmination of an extensive operation aimed at combating the trafficking of amphetamine.

Sen-Sgt Cummins said two Wodonga men, aged 31 and 34, were each charged with four counts of trafficking a drug of dependence and were bailed to appear in Wodonga Magistrates Court on September 11.

A Wodonga woman, 43, will be charged on summons with two counts of trafficking a drug of dependence.

A third Wodonga man, 25, was charged with the possession and use of cannabis and was bailed to appear in Wodonga Magistrates Court on September 18.

The fourth man was wanted over unassociated warrant matters.

Sen-Sgt Cummins said further police inquiries would be made to determine the future of Operation Senses.

Border Mail
 
Man charged over cannabis haul

Police have seized cannabis worth an estimated $600,000 from a house in south-west Sydney.

Acting on a tip-off, officers went to the house at Greenacre and found nearly 200 cannabis plants inside.

They also found hydroponics equipment, and other drug paraphernalia.
A 51-year-old man was charged with cultivating a commercial amount of cannabis.

He has been refused bail and is due to face Burwood Local Court next week.

ABC Online
 
Cannabis king put away for 13 years.
August 17, 2007 01:00am

Cannabis crops grown in outback locations
"Chiefs" earning $300,000 per crops
Mules paid $30,000 to fetch Dutch seeds


DRUG kingpin Alexander Malcolm Lane does not look like a "Mr Big".

But for more than a decade the Cairns father-of-two, who turns 60 tomorrow, presided over one of Australia's most sophisticated marijuana-growing cartels.

The former bank manager and grazier was yesterday sentenced in Cairns Supreme Court to 13½ years' jail for his role as head of the multi-million-dollar syndicate.

Justice Stanley Jones, in sentencing, said Lane was "second to none" in the organisation.

"You were responsible for marketing of the drug, distribution of profits, conversion of cash into gold, (and the) keeping of accounts," Justice Jones said.

Lane and four other syndicate members were yesterday sentenced after a three-year joint police and Australian Crime Commission investigation traced the syndicate to Europe and across Australia.

Officers at the time of the arrests in May 30, 2006, said it was one of the biggest and longest-running drug operations found in several decades.

Chiefs earn $300,000 per crop

The syndicate used helicopters to ferry men and supplies into remote bush camps on an outback cattle station, near Chillagoe, producing tonnes of high-grade cannabis every year.

Syndicate chiefs earned up to $300,000 each crop, paid in cash and gold bullion, with most of them burying it in secret caches including down a mine shaft at Mt Mulligan.

They used drug mules, paying up to $30,000 a trip, to travel to Amsterdam and bring back thousands of high-potency cannabis seeds.

Crop-sitters were paid $3000 a week and set up elaborate camps with tents, gas fridges, irrigation systems and cryovac machines to package the finished product.

Helicopters, semi-trailers

Helicopters would then carry the marijuana, worth between $3 million and $4 million a crop, to waiting semi-trailers which transported it down a network of inland roads and into the Sydney and Melbourne markets between 1995 and 2006.

Lane, unshaven and his shirt crumpled, waved goodbye to his family as he was led away.

Helicopter pilot Peter Pantovich - former manager of the Bolwarra Station, 75km southwest of Chillagoe - was sentenced to eight years for his role.

news.com.au
 
Motorcyclist arrested over drugs
August 17, 2007 - 7:09AM

A motorcyclist chased at speeds up to 100km/h over the limit was eventually cornered by police and allegedly found with 95 suspected ecstasy tablets in south-west Sydney, police say.

Police observed the 20-year-old travelling erratically along Flowerdale Rd at Liverpool around 10.50pm (AEST) on Thursday.

While following the man, police checked the motorcycle's registration and found it to be unregistered.

Police followed the man onto Hoxton Park Rd then activated their warning lights for the motorcycle to pull over.

He immediately accelerated to speeds of 170km/h in a 70km/h zone.

Police followed the man to a construction site in Yarrawa St and cornered him at a dead end.

Following a search of the man, police found about 95 pink tablets, believed to be ecstasy, in a bag around his waist.

He was charged with a number of offences including dangerous driving and possessing and supplying a prohibited drug.

The man was granted bail and is due to appear in Liverpool Local Court on September 20.

The AGE
 
Sentence after 482 pills embossed with Shrek
Jason Gregory
August 17, 2007 01:00am

A BRISBANE man was yesterday jailed for possessing almost 500 ecstasy tablets embossed with images of one of the world's favourite children's movie characters - Shrek.

The Brisbane Supreme Court yesterday was told Graham Hanson was found with 482 green tablets after police searched his Margate house, north of Brisbane, in October 18 last year.

The court was told Hanson, 25, who was unemployed and using the drug at the time, had planned to consume some of the methamphetamine and sell the rest for a profit.

He yesterday pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing dangerous drugs and was sentenced to 30 months' jail.

Defence barrister Julian Wagner, in arguing for a suspended sentence, said Hanson had made a "sincere" attempt at rehabilitation and that since his arrest had set up a cleaning business, become engaged, and stayed away from all drugs.

The court was told Hanson paid $7500 for tablets that were 46 per cent pure MDMA and planned to sell them for between $25 and $30 each to other recreational users.

However, Justice Margaret Wilson said she was compelled to fashion a sentence that would punish Hanson and deter others.

She set a fixed parole release date of July 18, 2008.

News.com.au
 
Mother, daughter, allegedly imported heroin
August 16, 2007 03:44pm

AN elderly Melbourne woman and her daughter have been charged with importing 200g of heroin from Vietnam, allegedly concealed inside their bodies.

The 71-year-old woman and her 49-year-old daughter, both from Ascot Vale, in Melbourne's west, were stopped by Customs officers for a baggage search after arriving on a flight from Ho Chi Minh City on August 14.

An Australian Customs spokesman alleged officers found a package in the underwear of the older woman, which tests found to be heroin.

Australian Federal Police took both women to hospital for medical examinations, which allegedly revealed further bags inside their bodies, he said.

Police allege the older woman passed two pellets containing a white powder and her daughter passed one package.

The spokesman said total weight of the packages was 200 grams, with an estimated street value of $60,000.

The women were both charged with importing a marketable quantity of a border controlled drug.

The maximum penalty is 25 years' jail, or a fine of $550,000.

News.com.au
 
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