Mapped: 2023’s biggest Adelaide drug busts unveiled
From million-dollar meth hauls to secret bunkers, suburban Adelaide streets have housed the underbelly of the state’s suspected illicit drug trade. See if there were any near you.
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On a Thursday evening in May, a police raided five properties across Adelaide in a sting months in the making.
Detectives from the Crime Gangs Task Force had been investigating a man believed to be a member of the Descendants Motorcycle gang since raids took place in October 2022, across Salisbury Downs and Mawson Lakes.
As police descended on quiet streets spanning from Lockleys to Salisbury Heights, they were led to a 10kg haul of methamphetamine – worth upwards of $2 million.
The massive bust was one of dozens in suburban homes this year, as cops investigated the state’s suspected illicit drug trade.
From 8kg cocaine drops to mega marijuana hauls allegedly hidden inside backyard bunkers, these are where some of Adelaide’s alleged drug busts went down.
SEE THE MAP FOR WHERE THE COPS HAVE UNCOVERED DRUGS
Croydon
In July, police seized almost 1kg of methamphetamine – with a street value of at least $90,000 – from a Croydon home.
Senior detectives described the haul, which came as a result of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation, as “significant”.
Flinders Park
An 8kg package of cocaine worth more than $3.2m allegedly bound for a Flinders Park home was intercepted by police in February.
According to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the price for one gram of cocaine is between $300 and $600, while 1kg is between $150,000 and $330,000.
Coromandel East
In January, police discovered a large alleged drug bunker covered with camouflage at a Coromandel East home.
Police said the bunker was concealed with camouflage mesh over a trap door, which led to a large area allegedly filled with hydroponic equipment.
Officers seized 18 hydroponically grown cannabis plants, half a kilogram of dried cannabis, the two gel blasters from a caravan, 35g of white powder suspected to be cocaine and cash from the property.
Hyde Park
In June, police uncovered an alleged secret meth lab in leafy Hyde Park, in Adelaide’s inner south.
At the time of the search, police said the illegal drug manufacturing process was “occurring inside a residential property placing the occupants and other nearby residents at risk of serious harm.”
Reynella East
In May, SA Police busted an alleged drug bunker in Reynella East, seizing about 1kg of suspected methamphetamine, opiate Alprazolam and cannabis.
At the home, police also claimed they discovered equipment used for the manufacture of methamphetamine, hydroponic light shades, globes, a pill encapsulator and empty pill casings.
Police said it took Serious and Organised Crime Branch detectives two days to dismantle the alleged laboratory.
Lockleys, Paralowie, Para Hills, Salisbury Heights, Burton
That same month, a police sting seized 10kg of methamphetamine from five properties across Adelaide – totalling millions of dollars in value – following an investigation into a member of the Descendants Motorcycle Club.
Greenfields
A police bust at a warehouse in Greenfields, in Adelaide’s northern suburbs, allegedly uncovered 8.6kg of cannabis in May this year.
Police said they discovered two duffel bags containing eight shopping bags stuffed with cannabis, along with 11 vacuum sealed bags in a blue box on shelving inside the warehouse.
Myrtle Bank
More than half a kilogram of methamphetamine was allegedly discovered by police at a Myrtle Bank home in August.
Hillcrest and Tailem Bend
In April, police discovered 10kg of methamphetamine inside a car bound for Adelaide on the Princes Hwy, at Tailem Bend.
Less than a week later, a bust at a Hillcrest property found a further 10kg of methamphetamine, cash, stolen identification documents and clandestine laboratory equipment.
Police said the two drug hauls were not related and were the product of separate investigations.
If sold at street value, the two busts totalled upwards of $10m.
Peterborough and Virginia
In February, police allegedly found 20 fully grown cannabis plants in a Peterborough backyard.
The raid came just weeks after about 100 cannabis plants and hydroponic equipment were allegedly found by police at a property at Virginia.
Virginia proved to be somewhat of a drug-bust hotspot in 2023 – with police claiming an unrelated search in August discovered more than 300g of illicit drugs and almost $100k in cash at another home nearby.
Following the raid, about 180g of methamphetamine, 150g of cocaine and $97,355 in cash was found and seized.
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