Police strike at crime network
A POLICE raid on 10 properties has hit what detectives believe is one of the region’s biggest criminal networks.
Officers say yesterday’s actions targeted the possession and trafficking of illegal firearms from Toowoomba to other parts of south-west Queensland believed to be linked to the supply of methylamphetamine.
Eight people were arrested and charged with a combined 43 offences.
A POLICE raid on 10 properties has hit what detectives believe is one of the region’s biggest criminal networks.
Officers say yesterday’s actions targeted the possession and trafficking of illegal firearms from Toowoomba to other parts of south-west Queensland believed to be linked to the supply of methylamphetamine.
A total of eight people have been arrested and charged with a combined 43 offences.
South West Detective Inspector Paul Hart said 18 months of investigations and the coordinated efforts of officers from various parts of the region culminated in the “significant” arrest of a person of interest yesterday.
“The most significant activity today was one of our targets was apprehended in a vehicle on Greenwattle St,” he said.
“A search of that vehicle, we will allege, located two loaded handguns, a large amount of cash and a large amount of ice, possibly in the vicinity of 400g.
“Arresting (him)…is very significant for our investigation, it is also a very positive thing for the community of Toowoomba.”
The raids come as the partial closure of operation “Papa Buzzard”, although more arrests are expected in the coming days as part of the investigation.
Insp Hart said the arrests were linked to recent Darling Downs raids.
“Every single one of those guns stolen is potentially a deadly or violent crime waiting to happen,” he said.
“The people we have targeted today have primarily come out of prior operations conducted in the south-west and we believe that both drugs and firearms have come prominently into the south-west from places like Toowoomba, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
“What we focused on is those organised crime networks. I know there has been other activities in Toowoomba and I have no doubt they are linked.”