Christian Winston, Patrick Duke arrested by the Sunshine Coast Gang Squad in drug operation
Three Queenslanders have been arrested after police busted a major alleged drug ring following a car intercept which uncovered more than $2.6 million of meth, MDMA, heroin, marijuana GHB, and firearms. SEE THE VIDEO
Sunshine Coast
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Three Queenslanders have been arrested since police uncovered an alleged drug ring after stopping a car on a known drug distribution route and allegedly finding more than $2.6 million more of meth, MDMA, heroin, weed, GHB, along with four firearms.
Police said the Sunshine Coast Gang Squad had disrupted a major drug distribution operation on the east coast of Queensland under Operation Whiskey Yaniro.
Assisted by the Sunshine Coast Tactical Crime Squad, Drug and Serious Crime Group and Maxima, the operation was part of moves to target outlaw motorcycle gang members and associates on the Sunshine Coast.
Police said they intercepted a car just off the Bruce Highway in Caboolture on Tuesday on what police allege was a routine drug distribution route.
Police searched that car and located 13kg of Methamphetamine, 3kg of MDMA, approximately 500g of heroin, 55 pounds of cannabis, 15L of GHB, and four firearms.
The drugs allegedly seized had an estimated street value of more than $2.6 million.
The driver of the car, Scottville man Christian Guy Russell Winston, 43, was arrested at the scene.
Police allege the drugs seized were sourced from OMCG groups and were regularly distributed across the east coast of Queensland from the Gold Coast to Cairns.
Police then searched an associated storage shed on Mountain View Ave, Miami, where they allegedly located an additional three firearms.
Winston was charged with five counts of possessing dangerous drugs offences, four counts of unlawful possession of weapons offences, two counts of possessing relevant substances or things, and one count each of possessing anything for use in the commission of crime, possession of property suspected of being the proceeds of an offence and authority required to possess explosives.
The Scottville man appeared in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Wednesday and did not apply for bail. He was remanded in custody and will appear in court again on September 20.
Police also executed search warrants at two properties in Maroochydore, on Melrose Parade and Sixth Ave, where they also located and arrested two associates of the 43-year-old man.
Fortitude Valley man Patrick Michael Duke, 54, was arrested leaving one of the properties, Elouera Tower Apartments in Maroochydore, on Tuesday evening while driving a white Toyota Camry.
The 54-year-old’s car hire car was searched where police allegedly found 165g of marijuana, an amount of 1,4-Butanediol which is used in the street drug GHB, along with 133g of meth, scales, a pipe, Viagra tablets and $1825 in cash.
During a raid on a unit at Elouera Tower Apartments, police allege they found 30g of meth underneath a bedroom drawer, a small bottle of 1,4-Butanediol, along with five LSD tabs.
Duke was charged with four counts of possessing dangerous drugs offences, four counts of breach of bail condition, two counts of possessing relevant substances or things, possessing anything for use in the commission of crime, possess utensils or pipes etc for use, possession of property suspected of being the proceeds of an offence, offence to buy or possess S4 or S8 medicines or hazardous poisons and unlawful possession of weapons.
He appeared in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Wednesday where he was refused bail and will return to court on June 24.
A 41-year-old Fortitude Valley woman was charged with one count each of possess property suspected of having been used in connection with the commission of a drug offence, possessing dangerous drugs, supplying dangerous drugs, possessing anything used in the commission of crime and possess tainted property.
She will appear in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on July 26.
Sunshine Coast Detective Inspector Chris Toohey said this is a significant moment for the east coast of Queensland.
“Police have taken a substantial amount of drugs off the streets that police will allege were on their way to communities from the Gold Coast north to Cairns,” Detective Inspector Toohey said.
“This sends a clear message to people involved in the production and distribution of drugs – it will not be tolerated.
“We will do everything in our power to stop dangerous drugs from hitting our streets and harming our kids, our friends and the wider community.
“We will continue to lead proactive, intelligence-based operations to target dangerous and unlawful activities.”
Further charges are expected as the investigation continues.
Anyone with information that may assist this operation are urged to contact police.
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