640 CHARGES

Community fighting back on drug scourge

MORE than 240 people are facing a combined 640 charges after a highly successful - and ongoing - police operation targeting insidious drug use and production in the region.

Another 28 people were charged with 74 offences this week in the latest raids under Operation Quebec Trawler, a dedicated policing campaign acting on community information to tackle drug users and suppliers.

And police are warning the ongoing operation is far from over.

DRUG traffickers and producers are in the cross-hairs of more than just police with the community helping fight the insidious scourge in the region.

Darling Downs Tactical Crime Squad officers this week raided 24 properties as part of the ongoing Operation Quebec Trawler targeting drug use and production in towns.

Oakey and Pittsworth properties were targeted on Wednesday and Thursday, leading to 28 people on a combined 74 charges including producing, trafficking and supplying dangerous drugs.

It brings the total number of people charged to 253 on a disturbing 640 offences under the operation.

“The people of the Darling Downs are getting behind their local police and working with us to disrupt and remove insidious drugs like ice in our community,” TCS acting Officerin-Charge Senior Sergeant Matt Howard said.

“We are acting on information provided from members of the community in the district so we will be concentrating on any information provided.

“We’re a Darling Downs Tactical Crime Squad so we take every bit of information seriously, and we will be acting on that.”

Operation Quebec Trawler has, in the past two months, seen eight all-in days of action and search warrant executions across the region including in Toowoomba, the Lockyer Valley, Pittsworth and Oakey.

While Snr-Sgt Howard conceded the number of people charged, and offences filed against them, had exceeded initial expectations, he said it demonstrated the community’s attitude towards drug use and production.

“I think the community is sending a clear message by contacting Crime Stoppers that they have had enough of drugs in the Darling Downs,” he said.

“I would like to thank them for that, and ask them to continue to provide us with information.”

Phone Crime Stoppers on

1800 333 000.