Western Australia's organised crime networks have suffered a major blow after police seized illicit drugs with a street value exceeding $15 million and a large sum of cash in a series of targeted raids across Perth.
Major Haul from Coordinated Police Operations
WA Police confiscated 45 kilograms of cocaine and 7 kilograms of methamphetamine, alongside more than $385,000 in cash, during several major drug busts executed throughout December. The operations, which resulted in four men being charged with a total of 20 offences, involved eight separate search warrants at properties and vehicles in the suburbs of Beeliar, Maylands, Landsdale, Bayswater, and Leederville.
Detective Senior Sergeant Andy Baker, from the transnational serious and organised crime squad, stated the seizures delivered a clear message. "This is a clear message that illicit drugs will not be tolerated and we will remain committed to targeting anyone involved in the supply and distribution of drugs," he said.
Sequence of Arrests and Discoveries
The police crackdown began on December 2, when detectives arrested a 30-year-old Beeliar man during a traffic stop on Leach Highway in Welshpool. Officers allegedly discovered 1kg of cocaine in his vehicle.
Following this arrest, further investigations led police to a property on Firbank Road in Beeliar. There, they allegedly seized 3kg of methamphetamine, over $92,000 in cash, cocaine, and other illicit drugs.
The same day, searches at a business on Division Street in Welshpool and a home on Ferguson Street in Maylands allegedly uncovered 28.5kg of cocaine buried under a concrete slab. Police also found illegally owned prescription drugs and 1,4-Butanediol, a substance used to manufacture the illicit drug GHB. A 37-year-old man was arrested at this location.
An hour later, a raid on a Dorneywood Road home in Landsdale allegedly yielded 15kg of cocaine, 350g of heroin, and more than $23,000 in cash, leading to the arrest of a 33-year-old man.
Separate Investigation Nets Firearm and More Cash
In a separate operation on December 10, police charged a 28-year-old man after allegedly finding about 1kg of meth and more than $4,500 in his car on Katanning Street in Bayswater.
Searches of an industrial unit on the same street and a home on Carr Street in Leederville allegedly uncovered a handgun, a further 3kg of methamphetamine, and a staggering $265,000 in cash.
Det. Sen. Sgt. Baker emphasised the danger of firearms in criminal hands, stating their prevention is a "must focus" for WA Police. He described the seizures as "very significant" and noted that criminal groups are going to extreme lengths to hide illicit substances, including concealing them in furniture and burying them in gardens.
Ongoing Investigation and Court Appearances
Police indicated there are no current links between the seized drugs and outlaw motorcycle gangs, but further arrests could be made. The four charged men, aged 28, 30, 33, and 37, are all scheduled to face court in the coming months, with appearances set for January and April.
"These seizures represent a major disruption to organised crime networks, and reinforces our message to anyone who engages in illicit organised criminal activity: You can expect to be caught," Det. Sen. Sgt. Baker concluded.
