Townsville MOCS taking on drug syndicates amid COVID-19

Drug dealers looking to take advantage of high prices due to the coronavirus state shutdown, have been met head-on by local detectives in the fight to keep illegal substances off city streets.

Drug dealers looking to take advantage of high prices due to the coronavirus state shutdown, have been met head-on by local detectives in the fight to keep illegal substances off city streets.

And while the hospitals and community services try to tackle the social and health aspects of drug abuse, police across the city are tackling the criminal side of drugs that follows addiction.

Not only are detectives and plain clothes officers trying to track and take down the dealers and suppliers, beat cops have the task of following up other crime associated with drug crime like theft, break and enters to fuel habits.

Townsville’s Major and Organised Crime Squad (MOCS), who deals with the biggest drug king pins and dealers in North Queensland, were forced to deal with a year like no other as syndicates tried to cross borders and infiltrate the region’s high prices.

In the last 12 months, police have laid almost 4600 drug charges, making it the second most common crime behind other thefts for the year.

The latest statistics come after the Townsville Bulletin revealed Townsville had the worst drug rate in the state in a special pre-election report.

MOCS Regional Detective Inspector Phil Watts said the COVID-19 state lockdowns made it difficult for interstate dealers and had forced people to compromise.

“The availability of drugs has been problematic … drug offenders have a lot more trouble getting their hands on supply,” Insp Watts said.

“Surprisingly, people are still willing to pay the (higher) price … which points to the strength of the addiction.”

Detective Acting Inspector Phil Watts. PICTURE: MATT TAYLOR.

Insp Watts said he had seen a slight increase in at-home dealers taking matters into their own hands and cooking or growing drugs at home.

Although, he said it wasn’t as significant as he was expecting.

Some of these larger setups were shut down this year, with MOCS leading the charge in closing down a whopping $1 million meth supply set up in September.

More than 20 people around Townsville and Ayr were charged on 192 offences after the four-month police operation.

In May, bundles of cash were allegedly found hidden around a Rasmussen home in a huge drug raid, totalling to more than $300,000.

In February, MOCS also busted $1.93 million of meth bound for Townsville hidden in a spare tyre.

About 58kg of drugs was found in a shipping container at Townsville earlier this year.

Insp Watts said meth remained the most prominent drug tarnishing the lives of those in the drug scene, but he also noticed the rise of another common drug.

“We’ve actually seen an increase of cocaine in the last few months,” he said.

“We didn’t really know what to expect (with COVID-19) this year, but some of these larger busts have made a large dent in the drug scene and corresponding crime.”

One of the Townsville Tactical Crime Squad’s many roles is working closely with MOCS and assisting with mid-level drug trade around the Northern Region.

Senior Sergeant Jason Shepherd, who has been a part of the team for more than a decade, said he had seen a change of intensity in drugs being used around the city.

“It’s not any less active,” Sen-Sgt Shepherd said.

“There has been a change. A number of years ago when police might search cars they’d find cannabis, but now it’s ice pipes or meth.

“There’s definitely been that transition to harder drugs.”

Insp Watts said MOCS also kept a close eye on the region’s motorcycle gangs and the association with illicit drugs.

“We are always looking towards our next targets and next syndicate … next year will be more of the same,” he said.

Originally published as Townsville MOCS taking on drug syndicates amid COVID-19