Outback operation targets drug flow
ELITE Queensland police, the Australian Border Force and Australia Post have joined forces to crackdown on illicit drugs being sent via mail to outback towns west of Townsville.
Queensland Police Service confirmed on Monday that it had partnered with the ABF and Australia Police to launch Operation Detect in 2017 – a nationwide operation focusing on “disrupting and targeting dangerous-drug distribution via domestic mail and digital environments”.
QPS said that as part of the ongoing operations the joint team, including with officers from the Mount Isa District Tactical Crime Squad (MIDTCS), Major Organised Crime Squad Northern (MOCS NR) and general duties police, undertook parcel post examinations and crimefighting activities.
Areas targeted included Mount Isa and Cloncurry in North Queensland as well as Normanton and Karumba in the Shire of Carpentaria.
“During this deployment more than 1700 parcels were examined by X-ray machine and drug detection dogs and four search warrants were executed,” a QPS spokesperson said.
“Police seized $17,500 in cash, a modified handgun, quantities of suspected cannabis, methylamphetamine (ice), psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and steroidal agents.”
Three people have been charged with drug offences although investigations are ongoing.
A 21-year-old man from Healy, Mount Isa, has been charged with allegedly attempting to possess a dangerous drug and possessing a dangerous drug and bailed to appear in the Mount Isa Magistrates Court on November 14. A 27-year-old Winston
man was charged with allegedly attempting to possess a dangerous drug, possessing a dangerous drug and possessing drug utensils and will appear in the same court on November 21.
A Cloncurry woman, 27, was charged with four counts of allegedly supplying a dangerous drug.
She appeared before the Mount Isa Magistrates Court
on October 26 and was remanded in custody to re-appear on December 12.
Australia Post General Manager Group Security Kevin Zuccato said it took the security and integrity of its supply chain seriously.
“We work collaboratively with Queensland Police Service and Australia Border Force to keep our communities safe.”
Acting ABF Superintendent Heidi Rainbow highlighted the ABF’S resolute commitment to disrupting criminals operating within Australia’s supply chain.
“The infiltration of both local and international supply chains by criminal networks is well known, and the ABF is intensifying its efforts to shut down such networks and bring those responsible to justice.”