QLD: Ironside Northern-Shropshire (case study)
A major criminal syndicate trafficking firearms and illicit drugs through southeast Queensland and interstate has been smashed following intelligence gathered by the Australian Federal Police’s Operation Ironside.
Twelve people allegedly involved in the syndicate, which had links to serious organised crime, have been arrested since 18 May with a further two given notices to appear. Nearly 60 charges have flowed from the operation with some alleged offenders facing up to 20 years in prison and mandatory prison terms.
Officers from the AFP, Queensland Police Service and New South Wales Police have seized more than $300,000 in cash, luxury vehicles including a Mercedes Benz, watches including a $200,000 Rolex and designer clothing they will allege are all the proceeds of crime.
Search warrants executed at more than 20 properties from north of Brisbane down to Ballina, NSW, in the past few weeks have discovered a cache of weapons including semi-automatic rifles, ammunition, fake identifications, drugs and drug production equipment.
Police also seized electronic evidence showing the syndicate had the capability to manufacture and alter weapons.
In total, police have located nearly 200kg of cannabis and 758 plants, more than 2kg of cocaine, steroids, human growth hormone and methamphetamine.
On 18 May, police executed a search warrant on a Mt Mee property, in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, where they discovered 2kg of cocaine, firearms and an indoor hydroponic cannabis production room.
Officer seized 758 cannabis plants and 180g of dried cannabis as well as cocaine cutting agents, a cocaine block press, firearms and ammunition, tools for producing methamphetamine, a book on drug production, scales, packaging materials and $2000 cash.
A 36-year-old man was charged with 14 state-based offences including drug possession, drug production and unlawful possession of weapons and was given a notice to appear.
A 31-year-old man was charged with two counts of possessing a dangerous drug and one count each of possessing an item and one count of possessing a utensil and also given a notice to appear.
On 28 May, intelligence gathered under Operation Ironside disrupted a courier allegedly moving cannabis between New South Wales and Queensland.
NSW Police acting on AFP intelligence conducted a tactical traffic stop on a white van travelling on the Pacific Highway south of Byron Bay. Inside the van, police allegedly found 166kg of cannabis packed into vacuum seal bags inside cardboard boxes and a Navman with the address of a Brisbane property entered into the system.
A 39-year-old man and a 28-year-old man were each charged with possessing a large commercial quantity of cannabis, and appeared in Court on Monday 31 May, 2021.
About 5pm on Jun 6 2021, Queensland Police intercepted a white utility vehicle being driven by a 26-year-old man near Ormeau on the Gold Coast.
The man was found in possession of a six shot revolver, approximately 150 rounds of ammunition and a USB. He was charged with possessing a firearm in a public place, which carries a mandatory one year term in jail, and authority required to possess explosives, relating to the ammunition. He was granted bail on 7 June with reporting conditions.
From 7 to 8 June, AFP and QPS officers executed search warrants at more than 20 properties across Southeast Queensland, including on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast hinterland and a luxury Brisbane hotel room.
Seizures of hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, a variety of drugs, including cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, steroids and human growth hormone as well as encrypted phones at locations across southeast Queensland revealed a sophisticated network for moving, hiding and distributing illicit drugs and weapons across the region and interstate.
Two properties contained equipment to grow and manufacture large quantities of cannabis or methamphetamine respectively along with instructions for producing drugs and associated paraphernalia.
Six syndicate members were charged with trafficking in dangerous drugs and face up to 20 years in jail.