Taskforce Cornus raids homes, arrests five for drug offences as it investigates NCA bombing
UPDATED: National Crime Authority bombing suspect Domenic Perre will face court on Wednesday on fresh drug charges.
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NATIONAL Crime Authority bombing suspect Domenic Perre will face court on Wednesday on fresh drug charges.
Detectives from a special bombing taskforce and the Serious and Organised Crime branch swooped on several properties across Adelaide’s north and northeast on Wednesday, seizing evidence and arresting five men.
During the raids, police seized an undisclosed quantity of cannabis and more than $20,000 in cash.
One of five men arrested was Perre, 61, as the investigation into his family’s alleged illegal syndicate widened.
Perre, formerly of Salisbury, is expected to be one of three men to appear Wednesday in the Adelaide Magistrates Court charged with serious drug trafficking offences.
The NCA bombing suspect has been in custody on cultivating and trafficking cannabis charges since a police raid on his Cross Keys Rd home of 27 years in June.
A Newton man, 63, and a Salisbury North male, 43, are also expected in court. The trio were expected to front court late Tuesday but their case was delayed.
The Newton man, who has not been named, is also accused of cultivating cannabis, possession of prescribed equipment, unlawful possession of cash and theft of electricity.
Prosecutors will allege the trio trafficked in a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug and a commercial quantity of a controlled drug at Adelaide between November 2 and November 21 last year.
Two more men, both aged 37 and from Prospect and Blakeview, were bailed to appear in court in December, on two counts of drug trafficking.
The dramatic widening of the NCA investigation, codenamed Operation Cornus, followed the arrests of his brother Francesco “Frank” Perre and sister-in-law Rita Perre, 52.
His nephew Antonio Perre, 26, is also charged over the alleged cannabis racket.
The court has heard the cannabis trafficking case against Domenic Perre was weak and should be thrown out before it reaches trial.
Frank Perre, 56, has already pleaded guilty to four charges relating to the hidden cannabis growing room at Chaffey, near Renmark.
Police searched a Riverland property, in January and uncovered a hydroponic drug-growing operation. They also allegedly discovered 13kg of dried cannabis, a growing room, a pump-action shotgun and a Brno self-loading rifle.
Domenic Perre remains the chief suspect in the 1994 NCA parcel bombing that killed detective Geoffrey Bowen and injured several others in their Waymouth St office. He was charged with murder but the charge was later withdrawn.
During a failed bail bid in July, Domenic Perre revealed “a sense of injustice” that he remained in custody for alleged drug trafficking while his brother, who faces more serious charges, was released.
Prosecutors and police revealed concerns that he is a flight risk and would reoffend if released bail.
The high-profile arrest came after The Advertiser revealed the alleged family drugs syndicate.
Domenic Perre remains a suspect in the 1994 NCA parcel bombing that killed detective Geoffrey Bowen and injured several others in their Waymouth St office.
He was charged with murder but the charge was later withdrawn.
During a failed bail bid, Domenic Perre revealed “a sense of injustice” that he remained in custody for alleged drug trafficking while his brother, who faces more serious charges, was released.
Prosecutors and police are concerned Perre is a flight risk and would reoffend if released on bail.
The court has previously heard his latest arrest came as a result of information gleaned by Operation Cornus, the Major Crime-led inquiry which remains focused on solving the bombing case.
Authorities have offered a $1 million reward for “information leading to the conviction of the person/s responsible for this crime”.
“There is also the potential for immunity to be offered to those not directly involved in the murder,” a police spokesman said.
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