National; South Australia; Biggest ever drug bust in state's history leads to $250 million haul seized, kept off Aussie streets. Property News:House prices in some school catchments explode by up to $367,000 - domain.com.au, Your web browser is no longer supported. Source: WA Police, Drugs, firearms, stolen property and assets worth over $3 million have been seized. At the beginning of the trial Justice Michael Corboy said that in effect seven trials were being conducted as one and the verdicts did not have to be the same for each of the accused. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. "They've been great," Deputy Commissioner Blanch said. With an estimated street value of $250. A man thought he was in trouble with the RSPCA, but an animal cruelty report turned out to be a case of mistaken identity. He was refused bail on September 22 on charges of laundering property/money from proceeds of major offence and appeared in Midland Magistrates Court yesterday. The other accused men oversaw the operation from Sydney, he said. Breaking news, sport, business and more. Officers seized over 40 grams of suspected cocaine, over $1,300 in Canadian currency and a .22 calibre rifle during bust, which was executed as a result of an investigation that began earlier in. The three men, aged 31, 32, and 35, have each been charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of unlawfully imported border controlled drugs. Get the news you want delivered to your inbox. WA Police arrested the men on December 30 after a joint agency investigation was launched when the Australian Border Force (ABF) found almost 100kg of drugs hidden in a 550kg shipment of latex bed pillows. Breaking news, sport, business and more. Source: WA Police. But police have not released further information about those cases. Mr Barklay told the court police watched some of the accused men unload almost 60 packages of methamphetamine each weighing about 25 kilograms within eight minutes. 9:37pm Oct 13, 2020 Two brothers are behind bars after Western Australia police announced a record alleged drug bust. Our detectives are working closely with their State and Commonwealth law enforcement and intelligence partners to track down the source of these drugs, with a clear intent of bringing those involved in the drug trafficking syndicates to face justice here in Western Australia., Police search river in Caversham as part of drug search for Operation Kingston Destiny. Alleged Mongols MC WA prez arrested in $2M drug bust denied bail. "For us that's the green light to go aggressively after these networks. Commander Adams said the $3.88 million was the largest seizure announced by WA Police Force ever. WA Police pose as international drug suppliers to infiltrate organised crime gangs, Follow the action from the third Test between India and Australia in Delhi in our live blog, Former government services minister Stuart Robert is being questioned at theRobodebt inquiry, Keep up with the latest ASX and business news. This focus is due to the interstate nature of the drug syndicates that are targeting WA, and their efforts not only to deliver drugs into the state, but move their cash holdings back to the eastern states.. The defence lawyer for Mr Cafcakis said no-one had discussed with his client the Valkoista would meet another ship and take on a load of methamphetamine. More than 80 per cent of Australian cash seizures has occurred in WA, according to state police. Those men Mr Lahood and Mr Harb are alleged to have had management roles in the operation according to the prosecution and should therefore be liable not only for their own actions but the actions of those specifically importing the drug. The targeting of transport routes will remain a particular focus of investigations and intelligence gathering activities, including key arterial roads in regional WA and border entry points, he said. A Sydney drug bust has resulted in arrests across the country and more than $80 million worth of methamphetamine seized, police have said. Police did not specify what the other five people were charged with, but said inquiries were continuing in relation to other outstanding persons. Crown prosecutor Heath Barklay QC told the court the other six men Jabour Lahood, Patrick Bouhamdan, Peter Harb, Serupepeli Rasaubale,Christos Cafcakis andKhalid Elia Kaena were alleged to have been involved in the importation of the drug itself, which involved two boats meeting off the coast of Geraldton to transfer the drug. It wont be alleged that he was a mastermind of the criminal network but we will be arguing that he was a significantly important player, Acting Assistant Commander Allan Adams, of WAs State Crime Unit, said. Police officers have seized 10kg of the dangerous drug methylamphetamine and more than $300,000 in cash following searches at suburban Perth homes. AFP officers were staking out a Noranda house on Monday when they observed a ute arriving at the house and reverse into the driveway. The arrests follow this mornings revelations of WA Polices biggest-ever cash seizure a $3.9 million haul found during a major operation which also uncovered 13kg of methylamphetamine. Three men went to the property the next evening and entered the shipping container where they accessed the boxes, according to police. Matthew Kelly, 27, and his older brother Shaun Kelly, 29, have been charged with drug possession after Western Australian Police allegedly uncovered 13kg of methylamphetamine in a ute parked at Shauns home in Lockridge, Perth. Get the news you want delivered to your inbox. WA Police have seized 33 kilograms of methamphetamine and 50,000 pills allegedly found hidden under a bed in a motorhome after it entered the state. The WA drug bust that changed Australian law enforcement forever For years, it sat on the tarmac at a general airport 20 kilometres south of Perth. A 40-year-old NSW man, who was allegedly driving the truck, and two WA men, aged 51 and 30, who were allegedly driving the vans, have each been charged with a string of offences. Police seized three kilograms of methylamphetamine and 750 grams of heroin from an undisclosed location. Australian Federal Police have charged four people after seizing eight kilograms of methamphetamine during an investigation into a suspected Vietnamese drug trafficking syndicate in Perth. Two of the defence lawyers of the seven accused men began their opening remarks on Tuesday afternoon, with the rest to continue on Wednesday. Two men have been appeared in a Brisbane court over an alleged plot to import $3 million worth of MDMA into Queensland in 2019. WA Police revealed they had pulled off their largest seizure of money in history last month when officers found 13kg of drugs and nearly $4 million cash in a truck. In all, Perth Amboy police released the details of 15 arrests made since Jan. 5, which . US national Jason Dean Lassiter, 45, Briton Scott Felix Jones, 35, and Angus Bruce Jackson, 50, from NSW, faced Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday, charged with conspiring and attempting to possess the drugs with intent to sell or supply. The housing industry really is broken, Grants for tradies to help rebuild flooded Kimberley, Man pleads not guilty to alleged Katanning indecent assault, Gambler's tax debt no secret after 'all or nothing' bid, Ex-police prosecutor loses attempt to reduce sentence. Seven men are on trial in Western Australia's Supreme Court accused of involvement in the importation into Geraldton of 1.2 tonnes of methamphetamine, worth an estimated $160 million. Detectives executed a search warrant at a Dianella residence last week where they allegedly found 10.2kg of meth. The West Australian can reveal that the three-storey apartment in the affluent suburb was the scene of a dramatic multimillion-dollar drug bust resulting in the arrest of four men on Wednesday. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. Watch and listen to a variety of WA true crime series, video channels and podcasts with commentary on news, politics and current affairs. Cocaine is now fetching $200,000 per kilogram while meth is going for $300,000 a kilo, a Perth court has been told during the appearance of a senior bikie figure who stands accused of heading up a "sophisticated drug supply network.". "We could transport those drugs for them. The truck driver, a 37-year-old man from NSW, has been charged with possessing a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply and laundering money from proceeds of a major offence. Drugs, firearms, stolen property and assets to the tune of more than $3 million have been seized after WA police targeted a Perth drug syndicate. AFP officers were monitoring a Noranda home on Monday (17 May 2021) when they saw a utility arrive at the property and the driver reverse into the driveway. Get the news you want delivered to your inbox. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved the prescription of MDMA for treating post-traumatic stress disorder and psilocybin (the drug in magic mushrooms) for treatment-resistant depression from July 1. mental health 5:08pm Feb 3, 2023 Hong Kong bans popular CBD forcing businesses to adapt Matthew (L) and Shaun Kelly. The drugs are estimated to be worth $160 million The men were arrested after bags of the drugs were seized by police after they were offloaded from a boat, which had allegedly met up with another vessel about three hundred nautical miles off the Mid West city in December 2017. "Criminal syndicates are looking to exploit this demand and sell methamphetamine in WA to maximise their profits, they do not care about the immense harm that this drug causes," AFP Acting Assistant Commissioner John Tanti said. The total value of the assets is estimated to be more than $3 million. In the latest move, nine people have been arrested in relation to two separate drug operations targeting alleged organised crime networks in Perth. The truck driver is alleged to have travelled from NSW across to WA with the money before police stopped him on the Great Eastern Highway near Sawyers Valley on September 21. Joint media release. Australian Federal Police have charged four people after seizing eight kilograms of methamphetamine during an investigation into a suspected Vietnamese drug trafficking syndicate in Perth. Investigations into the source of the drugs and any links between the men are ongoing. Get the news you want delivered straight to your inbox so you never miss a headline. He said police had been watching the operation unfold and the men on the boat and on the ground were "caught red-handed". Trafficking a commercial quantity of a controlled drug carries a potential maximum penalty of life imprisonment. She told the jury they must not use the July example to find the men guilty. The men cannotbe identified for legal reasons. William 'Roger' Reaves, 73, has spent the last 15 years in a WA prison Was caught on a beach 700km north of Perth in 2001 with 987kg of cocaine It remains one of the biggest drug busts in. They also seized $3 million cash concealed in a consignment on board a truck stopped at the Eucla border leaving WA. This means any person who thinks they can profit from allowing their vehicles to be used by others to transport drugs risk losing those assets, which may also be their primary source of income, he said. West Australian Newspapers Limited 2023. Get exclusive discounts on movie tickets, dining and popular attractions. "We go to the side and we penetrate these organised crime networks with aggression. In addition, police seized a total of 34kg of meth, 1.5kg of heroin and 5kg of cocaine in three other busts in January. In pre-dawn raids on Tuesday, five men were arrested in a joint police operation sparked by the seizure of 188 kilos of the drug in 2019. Western Australias new police commissioner has used his first press conference to provide details about an alleged organised-crime drugs sting, which included the seizure of cars and gold bullion. Stephen Baxter is one of the men, accused of trying to possess the drugs. Two men came out of the house and unloaded a package from the back of the ute before the vehicle drove away. You could score $50,000 for being the seasons top tipper. ABF and Australian Federal Police officers, with help from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Department of Home Affairs and WA Police, were watching as two men allegedly picked up boxes of pillows on December 29 and took them to a property in Maddington, southeast of Perth. The men were arrested after bags of the drugs were seized by police after they were offloaded from a boat, which had allegedly met up with another vessel about three hundred nautical miles off the Mid West city in December 2017. Subscribers with digital access can view this article. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. Seven men accused of massive methamphetamine importation off Geraldton face trial, Follow the action from the third Test between India and Australia in Delhi in our live blog, Former government services minister Stuart Robert is being questioned at theRobodebt inquiry, Keep up with the latest ASX and business news. An extravagant Perth carpentry business boss has been revealed as one of the three men charged in relation to a foiled plot to smuggle nearly 100 kilograms of meth stuffed in pillows from Thailand with the trio forced to wait behind bars until Friday to apply for bail. Editors note: Vision and photographs available via Hightail. The dramatic drug bust unfolded after the yacht was found stuck on a reef . >>. Mr Barklay said the storyof the December importation started five months earlier, in July, with a similar operation that was sucessful. The discovery came after police stopped a truck. A police narcotic detection dog was deployed, then the truck and its trailers were searched by officers. Acting Detective Inspector Tom Tristram from the South East Metropolitan District Office said illicit drugs are causing much harm in the community. Organised Crime Squad officers were called into one of the houses after detectives identified a methamphetamine drug lab. He said these networks would let them know about any mention of Western Australia in relation to drugs or organised crime. Key points: Mohammed Charif Oueida is one of three people charged over the bust Police allege Mr Oueida is the principal person behind the operation This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. 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