QLD: Ironside Northern-Eumenes (case study)
Taskforce Sentry
A Brisbane-based syndicate allegedly importing drugs through international mail has been dismantled following a joint Australian Federal Police (AFP), Queensland Police Service (QPS) and Australian Border Force (ABF) investigation acting on intelligence developed by Operation IRONSIDE.
The syndicate allegedly hid drugs inside computer hard drives mailed from the United States and planned to distribute them throughout Southeast Queensland using ‘dead drops’.
As a result of Operation IRONSIDE intelligence, ABF officers in late April 2021 examined packages sent from the United States to Australia, which were allegedly found to contain 3.8 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in computer hard drives.
Police removed the illicit drugs before delivering the packages to an apartment building in Woolloongabba on 17 May.
They discovered a criminal safe house across the hall from the address where the package had been sent. A 33-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly collected the packages from the delivery address and moved them to the safe house.
A search of the safe house located two kilograms of meth, 88 MDMA tablets, a mobile phone jammer, a quantity of cutting agents, false identifications, 13 mobile phones and three laptop computers.
The man was charged with trafficking a dangerous drug, contrary to section 6 of the Drugs Misuse Act 1986 (QLD), and attempt to possess a dangerous drug, contrary to section 9 of the Drugs Misuse Act 1986. He faces up to 25 years in jail if convicted.
The next day (18 May), police executed a search warrant at a storage unit in Underwood and found approximately $250,000 in cash and a shot gun. Analysis of CCTV footage allegedly revealed a 31-year-old Coorparoo man opening the storage unit. Further investigations revealed another suspected safe house in Kangaroo Point, which was occupied by the 31-year-old man’s ex-partner.
On 2 June, the 31-year-old man, the alleged syndicate leader, was arrested at a house in Coorparoo. Officers seized two mobile phones and a small amount of cocaine from the house.
A 33-year-old woman was arrested at the Kangaroo Point property, where police seized a revolver with no serial number, about 154 grams of meth and 1 gram of cocaine, scales, bags, heat sealers, label makers, fake identification – including Medicare cards, a passport copy and driver’s licence - mobile phones and $2030 in cash.
The 31-year-old man faced Brisbane Magistrates Court on 3 June, were he was remanded until 14 June. He has been charged with:
- Trafficking Dangerous Drugs, contrary to section 5 of the Drugs Misuse Act 1986;
- Drugs Misuse Act 1986 - Section 9(1) & (c) - Possess Dangerous Drugs
- Drugs Misuse Act 1986 - Section 10(1)(b) - Possessing anything used in the commission of a crime
- Drugs Misuse Act 1986 - Section [DM] 10A(1)(d) - Possession of property suspected of being the proceeds of an offence under Drugs Misuse Act
- Criminal Code - Section [CC] 408D(1) - Obtaining or Dealing with Identification Information
- Criminal Code - Section [CC] 408D(1) - Obtaining or Dealing with Identification Information
- Criminal Code - Section [CC] 408D(1) - Obtaining or Dealing with Identification Information
- Criminal Code - Section [CC] 408D(1) - Obtaining or Dealing with Identification Information
- Criminal Code - Section [CC] 408D(1) - Obtaining or Dealing with Identification Information
- Criminal Code - Section [CC] 408D(1) - Obtaining or Dealing with Identification Information
- Criminal Code - 408D(1A) - Possessing equipment for purpose of committing/facilitating the commission of an offence against s 408D(1)
- [WA] 50A(1)
- Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation 1996 - Section 146(1) -
- 1 x Possession of Restricted Drug (Viagra)
The drug trafficking charge carries a maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment.
The 33-year-old woman also faced court on 3 June, where she was granted conditional bail to reappear on 28 June. She has been charged with:
- Drugs Misuse Act 1986 - Section 5 - Trafficking Dangerous Drugs
- Drugs Misuse Act 1986 - Section 9(1) & (b) - Possess Dangerous Drugs
- Drugs Misuse Act 1986 - Section [DM] 10A(1)(d) - Possession of property suspected of being the proceeds of an offence under Drugs Misuse Act
- Drugs Misuse Act 1986 – Section 10A(1)(b) – Possess property suspected of having been used in connection with the commission of a drug offence
- Drugs Misuse Act 1986 – Section 10A(1)(a) – Possess property suspected of having been acquired for the purpose of committing a drug offence
- Criminal Code - Section [CC] 408D(1) - Obtaining or Dealing with Identification Information
- Criminal Code - Section [CC] 408D(1) - Obtaining or Dealing with Identification Information
- Criminal Code - Section [CC] 408D(1) - Obtaining or Dealing with Identification Information
- Criminal Code - Section [CC] 408D(1) - Obtaining or Dealing with Identification Information
- Weapons Act – Section 50(1)(C)(i) – Unlawful possession of weapons Category D/H/R weapon
- Criminal Code – Section 205A – Contravening order about information necessary to access information stored electronically
The drug trafficking charge carries a maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment.