Wednesday 21-Mar-2007 (1242 hrs CST)
63 kg cannabis seized this year – major drug raids – NT
Listen to audio file
Members of the Drug Enforcement Section with the assistance of the Drug Operations Unit executed three search warrants yesterday bringing the total of cannabis seized in major drug busts in the Territory this year to over 63 kilograms.
Members executed two related warrants at residences in Leanyer and Tiwi locating a total of 4.696 kg of cannabis, two cannabis plants, $2970 in cash and what appeared to be a cannabis hydroponic grow room.
Four offenders were apprehended, two females aged 22 and 21, and two males aged 20 and 35; all were charged with possess and supply trafficable quantity of cannabis.
One of the alleged offenders was remanded in custody to appear in the Darwin Magistrates Court today, the others have been bailed to appear at a later date.
In a separate raid, members from the Drug Enforcement Section with the assistance of the Drug Operations Unit executed a warrant on a premises in Marrakai after information was received through Crimestoppers.
Members located a quantity of cannabis in eight vacuum bags and four clip seal bags and 23 cannabis cookies bringing the total weight to 2.464 kg. A sawn off Stirling Shotgun and $16 240 in cash was also seized.
A 53-year-old man was arrested and later charged with possess cannabis commercial quantity and trafficable quantity, possess tainted property, cultivate cannabis, possess firearm unlicensed and other related firearms charges.
He was remanded in custody to appear in the Darwin Magistrates Court today.
These seizures bring the total quantity of cannabis seized in the Northern Territory in major drug raids to 63 kg.
The total amount of methylamphetamine seized in these major raids is 189 grams and the total amount of MDMA seized has reached just under 1000 tablets.
The following table shows the major drug busts and quantities of drugs seized so far this year.
| Date |
Drug seized |
Quantity |
Place seized |
| 7 January |
Cannabis |
6 kg |
Darwin |
| |
Methylamphetamine |
4 g |
|
| 16 January |
Cannabis |
6.8 kg |
Tennant Creek and Stuart Park |
| |
Methylamphetamine |
156 g |
|
| 30 January |
MDMA |
199 tablets |
Yulara |
| |
Cannabis |
65 g |
|
| 31 January |
MDMA |
120 tablets |
Anula |
| |
Methylamphetamine |
2.8 g |
|
| 01 February |
MDMA |
273 tablets |
Darwin City |
| 28 February |
Cannabis |
32 kg |
Humpty Doo |
| 05 March |
MDMA |
399 tablets |
Marrara |
| 12 March |
Methylamphetamine |
26.4 g |
Alice Springs |
| 20 March |
Cannabis |
10.5 kg |
Berrimah |
"The offenders in these matters are involved in the commercial distribution of illicit drugs for profit. They do not care about the impact these drugs have on our youth and our indigenous communities, greed is their motivating factor," Superintendent Peter Gordon said.
"Many of the arrests over the past few months are as a direct result of phone calls to police by members of the public who are motivated by the impact drugs have on our way of life."
Media contact:
Sarah Combe
8922 3365
|
