The Australian/NZ Drug Busts Mega-Thread Part Triforce

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Alleged drug kingpin to stand trial

The alleged leader of an international syndicate that shipped $445 million worth of ecstasy hidden in tomato tins into Melbourne has been committed to stand trial.

New South Wales man Pasquale Barbaro was committed to stand trial on six drug-related charges during his pre-trial committal hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court today.

The charges against Barbaro include importing and trafficking a commercial quantity of MDMA, importing a commercial quantity of cocaine, conspiring with others to import precursor chemicals and laundering $7.4 million.

The offences are alleged to have occurred in 2007 and 2008.

When asked whether he would enter a plea, Barbaro replied: "At this stage, not guilty your honour."

Barbaro, who recently sacked his lawyers and appeared unrepresented, chuckled when asked if he would be applying for bail.

The 49-year-old, from the Griffith region of NSW, has previously been refused bail four times.

He was remanded in custody to appear at the Victorian Supreme Court for a pre-trial directions hearing on March 15 for one of the charges and was ordered to appear in the Victorian County Court on June 6 for a pre-trial directions hearing on the remaining charges.

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Pair jailed over Colombia drug plot

Two Melbourne men have been sentenced to more than 10 years' jail for conspiring to import cocaine from Colombia.

Carlos Torres, 55, and Jose Quiroga, 44, pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to import the drug between 2006 and 2007.

The Victorian County Court heard Colombian authorities tipped off Australian Federal Police and the pair had boasted to undercover operatives they could import 25 kilograms of cocaine.

Thousands of phone calls were intercepted in both countries, leading to their arrests.

Torres was sentenced to 14 years in prison, with a minimum of nine-and-a-half years, while Quiroga was sentenced to 11 years, with a minimum of seven years.

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Man jailed over drug crimes

A Mildura man has been sent to jail for 15 months over serious drugs charges.

Matteo Medici, 49, was charged with a string of drugs-related charges between 2007 and 2008.

They included possessing a substance and the equipment to manufacture a drug of dependence to traffic, and recklessly dealing with the proceeds of crime.

The Victorian County Court in Melbourne yesterday sentenced Medici to one year and three months in prison.

Nine months of his term has been suspended.

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Trio sentenced over drug charges

Three men have been sentenced over a drug trafficking ring in central Victoria.

For three months, police had been watching Phillip Curphy, 49, and Craig Guthrie, 39, supply methamphetamines to at least 15 dealers in central Victoria.

They were arrested in August 2008 and pleaded guilty in the County Court in Bendigo this week to drug trafficking.

Judge Julian Leckie said Curphy had been an important middle man in the distribution of drugs in the Bendigo region, while Guthrie was described as a foot soldier.

Curphy will serve at least 17 months in jail, while Guthrie was given a 12-month suspended sentence.

A third man, Joseph Charles, 48, also received a suspended term after drug making equipment was found during the arrest of the trio at his Kilmore home.

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'Herbal highs' not legal

A confessed drug dealer from Hobart's eastern shore has received a suspended jail sentence and a $10,000 fine.

Mitchell John Campbell, 23, of Howrah pleaded guilty to trafficking methylcathinone in 2009.

He was charged after police became aware pills called "israelis" were being sold in Hobart.

They intercepted parcels labelled as bath salts that Campbell was receiving from China and upon searching his bedroom discovered unfilled capsules, a pill capping machine and a quantity of the drug.

Justice Shan Tennent said Campbell was lured into trafficking methylcathinone by a company in Shanghai, after searching the internet for "herbal highs".

But she said even after he realised the drug was illegal he continued selling it.

She took into account Campbell's young age and full-time employment in suspending his six month jail sentence.

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Firearms and 1.5kilograms drugs seized – Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad

Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad detectives have today seized numerous firearms and 1.5kilograms of ecstasy during a search warrant at Greenacre.

About 11am today, detectives attended a home at Greenacre as result of investigations conducted by police.

During the search warrant police located and seized the following items:
· 1.5kg ecstasy
· Loaded .357 calibre revolver
· Shortened bolt action .303 rifle
· Shortened lever action rifle
· Shortened rifle
· Five magazines and ammunition

The property was vacant at the time and all drugs and firearms have since been seized by police for forensic analysis. Investigations are continuing.

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Man charged with drugs and firearms offences - Eden

A man has been charged with drug supply and firearms offences in the state’s south.

About 8.40am yesterday (Monday 28 February 2011), officers attached to Far South Coast Local Area Command executed a search warrant at a home at Storey Street in Eden, in relation to alleged drug supply.

With the assistance of a drug detection dog, police will allege they located and seized 290grams of cannabis, half a kilogram of white powder, and clear bags containing white and orange powder.

Police also seized three rifles and located numerous mobile phones, an imported pill press and other drug paraphernalia.

A 23-year-old man was subsequently arrested and taken to Eden Police Station where he was charged with supply prohibited drug (cannabis) and possession of prohibited drugs. He was also charged with possess unlicensed firearms, unregistered firearms, and not store firearm correctly.

He was granted conditional bail to appear in Eden Local Court on 6 April 2011.

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Drug charge, Deebing Heights

A 42-year-old man will face court after police allegedly located a clandestine laboratory at Deebing Heights this afternoon.

Police executed a search warrant on the South Deebing Creek Road property at around 4pm.

The man has been charged with one count each of produce dangerous drug, possession of equipment used in a crime, unlawful possession of a weapon and two counts of possession of a substance or thing.

He has been held in custody to appear in the Ipswich Magistrates Court tomorrow.

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Two women charged with drug offences – Lismore

Two women have been arrested and charged with drug possession after a vehicle stop at Tweed Heads this afternoon.

In January 2011 the Richmond Local Area Command Drug Unit established Operation Jaegar to investigate the supply of amphetamines in the Lismore area.

About 1:30pm police stopped a white Ford Laser while it was travelling south on the Pacific Highway at Tweed Heads.

Police spoke to the two female occupants and allegedly located 28 grams of amphetamines during a search of the car.

The two Lismore women, aged 40 and 56, were arrested and taken to Tweed Heads Police Station where they were charged with supply of prohibited drugs.

They were granted conditional bail to appear in Tweed Heads Local Court on Monday 4 April 2011.

At 3:15pm, Lismore Detectives and officers attached to the Richmond Target Action Group attended the residential home of the 40-year-old woman where they conducted a search warrant.

During a search of the house police allegedly located a small quantity of cannabis. The drugs were seized and investigations into the matter are continuing.

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Bikie charged over homemade torch gun

Sydney police have charged a man they say is a high-ranking bikie gang member for possessing a homemade gun.

Officers stopped a car at a petrol station at Prairiewood, in the city's west, about 11:00pm (AEDT) yesterday after a registration checked suggested a link to an outlawed motorcycle gang.

Police allegedly siezed goods including a quantity of what is thought to be the drug ice and a torch which had been modified to operate a gun, loaded with a single bullet.

A 25-year-old man has been held in custody to face the Fairfield Local Court today, charged with drug and firearm offences.

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Drug charges, Bargara

A 34-year-old Bargara man has been charged with a number of drug and weapons related offences following the search of premises in Bargara today.

Around 2.30pm this afternoon, police executed a search warrant at a property on Wessells Road and allegedly located weapons, drugs, drug related property and an alleged illicit drug laboratory.

Officers from the Illicit Laboratories Investigation Team attended and will be assisting investigators in safely processing the property located.

The 34-year-old was charged with two counts of possession of a dangerous drug, two counts of unlawful possession of weapon, possession of thing for use in commission of a crime, possession of a utensil, possession of a relevant thing and fail to dispose of needle and syringe.

Police investigations are continuing.

The man is to appear in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on April 4.

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Woman arrested for importing $5 million of heroin in seafood

A joint Australian Federal Police (AFP), Customs and Border Protection and Australian Crime Commission (ACC) investigation has resulted in the arrest of
a woman for importing 12kg of heroin in frozen seafood.

The 51-year-old Kensington woman will appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court today, facing allegations that she is the principal financier of the importation.

Based on ACC intelligence, on 2 February 2011, Customs and Border Protection officers targeted and intercepted a shipping container from Vietnam when it arrived at the Port of Melbourne. It contained 882 cartons of a variety of frozen seafood products.

Three of the cartons were found to contain a total of 36 frozen blocks, each revealing approximately 350g of a white powder substance. Preliminary testing indicated that the substance was heroin.

The matter was referred to the AFP and a controlled delivery was undertaken with the assistance of the Victoria Police.

The consignment was delivered to a business premise in Braybrook on 4 February 2011.

AFP officers executed a search warrant at the business premise that day and at the woman’s residential address yesterday.

A 40-year-old Sunshine North man has also been charged in relation to this operation. He was charged on 22 February 2011 with the importation of a commercial quantity of heroin. This person has also been charged in relation to two other importations, of 2.1 kilograms of methamphetamine and 300 grams of heroin.

The 51-year-old woman was arrested yesterday and charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, namely heroin contrary to
section 307.1(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995.

The maximum penalty for this offence is life imprisonment.

The 12 kilograms of heroin seized in this operation has an estimated street value in excess of $5 million.

Further forensic testing will be undertaken to confirm the exact weight and purity of the substance.

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Drug dealer Peter Kay's death on deadline

TIME finally ran out yesterday for notorious drug dealer and loan shark Peter Kay.

He was found dead in his Tempe pawnbroking business Hock-A-Car yesterday morning on what is believed to be the very day the deadline to repay a huge debt ran out.

Detectives are investigating whether Kay, 50, took his own life or whether his apparent suicide was staged by a killer.

The Daily Telegraph has been told Kay, who had been a major cocaine dealer, was desperate for money and "a very worried man" because he owed $8 million to various people. His father had sold his house to help him out and Kay had even begged his former wife for money, sources said.

Kay, also known by his real name Peter Karamihalis, set up the pawnbroking business after he was last released from jail in 2003. He has an extensive criminal history, mainly for cocaine dealing, and in 1998 was jailed for supplying a commercial quantity of drugs.

An associate said yesterday that Kay had "turned bad".

"He had burnt everybody in the last few years. He owed money everywhere," they said. Workers at the pawnbroking business yesterday were making no comment.

The business was last night locked up.

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Police seize Mardi Gras-bound drugs

Police have seized a large amount of drugs that were destined for this weekend's Sydney Mardi Gras, during a raid in the eastern suburbs.

Officers followed a man as he left a unit in Coogee last night, after they received a tip-off that drugs were being stockpiled at the property.

They pulled his taxi over at Randwick and found him carrying a glass bottle of the liquid drug GHB, a number of ecstasy tablets and a large amount of cash.

Police then searched the unit and allegedly found three litres of GHB with a street value of $16,500.

The man has been charged with drug possession and supply and will appear in a Parramatta court today.

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Police seize $2.73 million in cannabis during fifth raid of Cannabis Eradication Prog

Police have seized about $2.73 million worth of cannabis during the fifth raid of this year’s Cannabis Eradication Program in the Tweed/ Byron Local Area Command.

Strike Force Unwin comprises detectives from the Drug Squad’s Cannabis Team, with assistance from the NSW Police Air Wing, Dog Squad and Tweed/ Byron LAC.

This recent raid commenced on Monday 28 February and ended yesterday, with police targeting various areas including Piggabeen, Chillingham and surrounding areas.

1365 cannabis plants were located and seized by police during the operation.

To date, Strike Force Unwin officers have seized plants with a total estimated potential street value of $24.5 million.

All plants have been now been destroyed by police.

The NSW Police Cannabis Eradication Program has been running since the mid-1980s. Police will conduct a number of similar raids over the next few months in an ongoing effort to target cannabis cultivation.

Drug Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Nick Bingham warned, “You won’t know where or when we’ll strike, but we’ve got your crops in our sights.

“Our aim is to detect and destroy cannabis crops across the state.

“Whether it’s a semi-rural crop or on a steep mountainside in a remote part of the state, there’s a very high chance police will find it. If you think you’re safe growing cannabis then think again,” Det Supt Bingham said.

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Public tip-offs lead police to uncover cannabis crops, stolen property – Tumbarumba

Tumbarumba Police have praised residents for joining the fight against local crime after a number of public tip-offs led to the seizure of cannabis plants and recovery of stolen property.

About 1pm yesterday (Friday 4 March), police from Tumbarumba Police Station executed a search warrant on a Tumbarumba premises and allegedly uncovered a large amount of suspected property.

Officers seized firearms, a silencer, whitegoods, electrical items, furniture and tools.

It’s believed the items were stolen during in a string of break-and-enter offences dating back to 2009.

A 27-year-old man and 29-year-old woman are assisting police with their inquiries. Those investigations are ongoing and no charges have been laid at this stage.

Meanwhile - acting on information provided to Crime Stoppers - local police attended a Tumbarumba house just before 6pm on Saturday 26 February.

They allegedly seized 10 cannabis plants.

A 72-year-old man was arrested and charged with cultivating a prohibited plant.

And again acting on information provided to Crime Stoppers, 15 cannabis plants were allegedly found growing in the backyard of another local property about 2pm on Sunday 20 February.

A 40-year-old man was interviewed by police in relation to the small crop before being charged with cultivating a prohibited plant.

Both men will appear in Tumbarumba Local Court on 5 May 2011.

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Man arrested for alleged cannabis cultivation - Koonawarra

Police from Lake Illawarra Local Area Command have charged a 62-year-old man with cultivate prohibited plant after executing search warrants at a premises in Koonawarra, near Dapto.

About 11 am yesterday (6 March), police executed warrants at the Galong Crescent residence, where they allegedly seized 30 cannabis plants with an estimated street value of $60,000.

They also seized bagged cannabis heads, hydroponic equipment and other items.

Police subsequently arrested a 62-year-old Koonawarra man and charged him with cultivate prohibited plant.

The man was bailed to appear at Wollongong Local Court on 19 May, 2011.

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Music lovers caught with drugs at festival

More than a dozen concert goers have been caught trying to take drugs into a music festival in Perth.

Police say revellers were searched by sniffer dogs as they entered yesterday's Future Music Festival in Joondalup.

Officers seized mainly pills, believed to be ecstacy, and 15 people were issued with a summons.

More than 40,000 people attended the event.

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Booze bus nets high number of drink drivers

Police in Perth say they are shocked by the high number of motorists caught driving with alcohol in their system on the weekend.

More than 1,000 motorists were stopped by booze buses in Trigg on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Police say 15 people were charged with driving with a blood alcohol level in excess of .08 and 13 for .05.

Two motorists were charged with driving with an alcohol reading above .15 and one for driving under the influence of drugs.

Police say two people were caught driving under suspension and two had their cars seized under hoon laws.

Another six-people were caught with drugs or smoking implements.

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Drug dealer fingered

A Tasmanian drug dealer who was arrested at a bus mall after sticking his finger up at police, has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Wayne Anthony Burnside of Glenorchy pleaded guilty to trafficking cannabis between December 2009 and July 2010.

The Supreme Court in Hobart heard the 40-year old was caught out by police, after attracting attention to himself in the Glenorchy bus mall.

He stuck his finger up at officers who were standing on the opposite side of the mall and was then arrested with four bags of cannabis in his pockets.

Burnside admitted to police that he'd been dealing the drug for eight months and had made about $8,000.

Justice Alan Blow said he expects Burnside will not be making any more rude gestures in the future and gave him a six month suspended prison sentence.

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