REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Saturday December 5, 1987

A MAJOR international drug racket dealing in amphetamines was smashed on the Gold Coast and in Sydney by federal police.

Authorities said they believed the bust could be the biggest of its kind in Australia.

A gun and almost 1kg of the suspected trend ‘ecstasy’ drug was seized in a mass raid on a carpark at Point Danger.

A later search of a Tweed Heads motel room uncovered more amphetamines, cannabis resin, scales for weighing the drug, empty medicine capsules and $3000 in cash. The operation then swung to Sydney where 40 police offices scoured five premises, including homes and hotels.

Found were further amounts of the white powder amphetamines believed to be ecstasy, as well as cannabis leaf, seeds, oil and $2000 in cash.

Police said two Sydney men tried to sell about 800 grams of the amphetamines to an undercover office at the Point Danger carpark.

Detective Inspector Ross Murray, who headed a twomonth operation which culminated in the bust, said 14 police officers had converged on the carpark.

The white powder was yet to be analysed but that amount of ecstasy was estimated to be worth $750,000 on the street.

Police said ecstasy had filtered into Australia after becoming trendy in the US.

“It is the largest bust of amphetamines that I am aware of,” Det Insp Murray said.

“It would appear it came from an organised network of drug dealers who were bulk dealing. The syndicate was predominantly based in Sydney, however the operation was conducted from Queensland.”