SA: Operation Lepanto (case study)

Six men charged after $1.5m worth of cannabis and cash seized from alleged SA Rebels bikie gang safe house

As a result of information emanating out of Operation IRONSIDE, six men were charged with drug trafficking after the South Australia National Anti-Gangs Squad found more than 320 kilograms of dried cannabis and $50,000 cash at a suburban Adelaide property in February 2021.

Police allege the Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang has been using the Northfield residence as a so-called ‘safe house’ for drug activity.

SA NAGS, which consists of Australian Federal Police and South Australia Police, executed a search warrant at the property on 2 February 2021, with the support of SA Police STAR Group and Crime Gangs Taskforce officers.

They allegedly found the cash and large amounts of cannabis inside the house and allege the property was being used as a processing facility to package dried cannabis for distribution.