Townsville’s top 10 worst drug crime suburbs exposed

Townsville is battling a growing drug scourge, with shocking new figures revealing the suburbs hardest hit. Where does your area rank? See the full list and the latest from police on how the local drug trade is evolving.

Townsville is battling a growing drug scourge, with shocking new figures revealing the suburbs hardest hit.

Queensland Police Service data shows the rate of drug offences for the Townsville Division has hit record highs over the last three years — reaching 18,097 in 2022, 19,471 in 2023, and 18,677 in 2024 — after a period of about 20 years where rates were sitting at least 10 per cent lower.

A Townsville Bulletin analysis of police data over the past 12 months cross-referenced with the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics population figures has laid bare the city’s drug hotspots.

Townsville City has emerged as the region’s drug capital, recording an 1,823 drug offences per 10,000 residents — far surpassing any other suburb.

Garbutt follows as the second-worst-affected suburb, with 662 offences per 10,000 people, while South Townsville isn’t far behind at 598.

Other suburbs ravaged by drug-related crime include Aitkenvale, Thuringowa Central, and Rosslea, with West End, Vincent, Hyde Park, and Currajong rounding out the top 10.

To ensure the results weren’t skewed, suburbs with populations of less than 1,000 were excluded from the analysis.

Meth surge, cocaine boom:

Police are warning that Townsville’s drug crisis is worsening, with methamphetamine use surging back to pre-pandemic levels and cocaine flooding the region.

Detective Senior Sergeant Phil Watts, Officer in Charge of the Major and Organised Crime Squad, says meth remains the dominant drug in Townsville, but cocaine is becoming a serious threat.

“We’ve certainly seen an increase in cocaine use and availability in North Queensland over the last few years,” he said.

Wastewater testing and police intelligence confirm meth use is on the rise across Australia, and Townsville is no exception.

The scale of the crisis was laid bare last September when police allegedly seized a staggering $2.6m worth of methamphetamine during an intense eight-day operation.

According to Snr Sgt Watts, demand is the driving force behind the meth market, with addiction fuelling a web of crimes, from break-ins and robberies to violent assaults and domestic abuse.

“Meth and other illicit drugs are connected to almost every crime class, from burglaries and robberies to assaults and domestic violence,” he said.

Once considered a drug for major capital cities, cocaine is now making its way into regional areas like Townsville at a concerning rate.

“Cocaine is quite prevalent here,” Sgt Watts said. “We’ve certainly seen an increase in its use and availability in North Queensland.”

It comes after a record $61m cocaine haul was intercepted in Townsville from a yacht travelling from Vanuatu in 2023.

MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, remains another major concern for the city.

“Cocaine is probably one of the ones that has increased notably in recent years, but MDMA continues to be an issue as well,” he said.

Northern Major and Organised Crime Squad officer in charge Detective Senior Sergeant Phil Watts has lifted the lid on what's being done in Townsville to tackle the meth epidemic

It appears local drug dealers are evolving, using encrypted messaging apps and social media platforms like Snapchat to conduct transactions in an effort to evade law enforcement.

“There’s always an evolution in offending, but we do our best to keep contemporary with what’s happening,” Snr Sgt Watts said.

Community urged to speak up

As the crisis deepens, police are calling on the public to help fight the scourge of drugs by reporting suspicious activity in their neighbourhoods.

“We rely on the community to give us information when they do see something unusual — whether there’s a lot of cars pulling up at a house for a short period of time, or two cars meeting randomly where you can see an exchange of products,” Snr Sgt Watts said.

“People might think their information isn’t that important, but it could be the missing piece of a puzzle we’re working on.”

While the Major and Organised Crime Squad focuses on higher-level offenders, it appears young juveniles were also becoming more entangled in the Townsville drug scene, particularly in relation to property crime.

“Drugs are a poison to our community,” Sgt Watts said.

“The harm they cause isn’t just to the users but also to their families and loved ones. It is difficult to watch.”

For those struggling with substance use, support is available through the Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) on 1800 177 833, a confidential 24/7 helpline offering information, support, and referrals.

Residents with information about drug activity can contact Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.

Originally published as Townsville’s top 10 worst drug crime suburbs exposed