Queensland’s most notorious streets for drug deals; where they’re going down and why
Police have staunched the state’s drug epidemic, with a massive drop in selling and supplying drug offences recorded. But shady deals are still being done on our streets – check your area.
Logan
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The new year heralded some good news for communities struggling to wipe out illegal drugs with police recording massive drops in offences for supply, sales and production of drugs.
The latest Queensland Police Service data showed there were 1199 fewer “sell supply” offences recorded from January to November 2022 than for the same period in 2021.
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Townsville was the state’s drug selling hot spot, according to the data, recording 1036 selling and supply offences between January and November 2022, the highest across 15 regions.
Darling Downs ranked second on the list for selling and supplying drug offences with police counting 604 cases.
Along with having 392 supplying and selling drugs offences, Moreton Bay region also had 97 recorded drug production offences – the fourth highest in the state.
The Gold Coast was fifth on the list behind Brisbane (north). Logan recorded the lowest levels of drug supply and selling offences, edging out Ipswich and the Wide Bay regions.
The latest data from January to November 2022 shows there were 4416 sell and supply offences recorded, well down on the 5615 for the same period in 2021.
The same good news stands for production drug offences, which were also down by a massive 28.38 per cent, according to the latest police data.
In 2021, there were 1565 ‘produce’ offences recorded from January to November compared to 1121 for the same period in 2022.
The statewide 21.36 per cent drop in recorded supply offences, was due to a range of factors including police operations targeting known drug hot spots.
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Drug raids and covert operations captured drug dealers and suppliers from all across the state with more than 150 convictions in a three-month period in 2022.
In May, Operation Tango Birch, targeting the trafficking of dangerous drugs by organised crime groups in the Sunshine Coast, resulted in the arrests of 15 people on 93 offences.
In August, police closed Operation Tango Eel, which targeted trafficking of cocaine and methylamphetamine in the Redlands and Greater Brisbane areas.
The closure of the 12-month operation resulted in nine people charged with 52 offences.
Also up north, in the Mackay region, Operation Tango Muscatel resulted in the arrest of 52 people, and more than 230 charges for a range of offences.
By October, Operation Tango Pelerine had charged 24 people for the alleged distribution of dangerous drugs in Far North Queensland.
Here are the drug dealing hot spots in your area:
BRISBANE NORTH
Police data showed there were 338 sell and supply offences recorded for the North Brisbane area with the most in Brisbane City and Fortitude Valley.
In the city and the Valley there were 265 offences recorded from January to November.
The main hotspot was in and around Ballow St, Fortitude Valley where there were 160 drug offences recorded.
There were 75 drug offences recorded in and around Exhibition St, also in the Valley and 102 near Elizabeth and William streets.
In the suburbs Mango Hill and North Lakes had 17 sell and supply drugs offences with 15 each at Ferny Grove and Hendra.
GOLD COAST
The holiday strip recorded 302 sell and supply drug offences between January and November with 106 drug production offences recorded, the state’s third highest figure behind Cairns and the Far North and Wide Bay.
Drug hot spots on the Gold Coast included streets near Cavill Ave at Surfers Paradise where there were 134 drug-related offences recorded.
Beach Rd was another hotspot with 86 drug-related offences as was the area around Bayberry Ln where there were 24 drug-related offences.
BRISBANE SOUTH
Capalaba registered as a drug hotspot in Brisbane south racking up 67 of the area’s 286 sell and supply offences.
Mt Ommaney had 44 and Sherwood had 42.
There were 68 drug producing offences in the area. Drug hot spots in Brisbane South were near Mt Cotton Rd, where there were 11 drug-related offences recorded.
Near Mackerell St, Manly West there were 23 drug-related offences. Valentine Rd at Birkdale was another hotspot with 11 drug-related offences.
The entire Brisbane South area reported 286 sell and supply offences between January and November. There were 68 drug production offences recorded.
MORETON
There were 392 drug supply offences in the Moreton region, with Redcliffe at the top of the list with 183 offences to the city’s name.
Police data shows the worst spots in the area were near Cambridge St, Rothwell, where there were 12 drug offences recorded in the past year, and Hindmarsh St at Kippa-Ring where there were 21 drug-related offences.
Caboolture was also another area where 115 sell and supply offences were recorded and 32 drug producing offences. Streets around Caboolture’s Mary St showed up as drug hot spots in police data.
SUNSHINE COAST
Over the year, there were 2551 drug offences recorded across the Sunshine Coast, with police data showing 149 were for selling and supplying drugs offences.
There were also 74 drug production offences recorded for the year to the end of November.
Drug hot spots that showed up in police data included streets near Latcham Dr, Caloundra, where there were 13 drug offences recorded in the past year.
Williamson Lane at Caloundra had 11 drug offences recorded over the year and John Allden Memorial Park at Coolum had 13 drug offences.
NORTH QUEENSLAND (TOWNSVILLE)
Drug hot spots in Townsville were around the Flinders St Mall, along Denham, Walker and Ogden streets, police data revealed.
However, there were only 55 production offences recorded in the Far North Queensland region, one of the state’s lowest.
DARLING DOWNS
Another drug selling hotspot in 2022 was on the Darling Downs, where 604 sell and supply offences were recorded between January and November, the state’s second highest reading.
Streets that showed up in police data for all drug-related crime were Bridge St, those around Doyle St and Hursley Rd.
CAPRICORNIA (CENTRAL QLD)
Moving away from the capital, Rockhampton and its surrounds also had a high number of selling and supplying drugs offences with 262 recorded for the year to the end of November.
Police also recorded 73 offences related to the production of drugs. Street areas which showed up as drug hot spots in the region included near North St and Talford St where there were 14 drug-related offences, as well as around Murray and Bolsover streets.
MT ISA
There were 178 selling and supplying offences recorded in the Mt Isa region over the year, with nine offences recorded for drug production offences.
Police crime data showed the main hotspot was near West St, where there were 13 drug offences recorded over the same period. Abel Smith Parade St was another with 10 drug offences recorded.
FAR NORTH QLD (CAIRNS)
A police crackdown in October found 2.7kg of drugs at a Calamvale property which investigators believed were bound for North Queensland.
FNQ recorded 140 supply and selling drug offences over the year with 124 drug production-related offences.
The main drug hot spots, according to police data, were in streets near Cava Close in Cairns where there were 70 drug-related offences recorded. There were 20 drug offences in and around Florence St and 29 near Shields St in the city centre.
MACKAY
There were 115 selling and supplying drugs offences recorded in the Mackay region in the year to the end of November with a further 56 offences for drug production-related offences.
Street areas that featuring in police data as hot spots included near Gordon St where there were 14 drug offences recorded, near Milne Lane where there were 42 recorded and near Victoria St, where police reported 26 drugs offences.
WIDE BAY BURNETT
There were 114 supply and selling offences recorded by police in the Wide Bay area over 2022 to the end of November with Gympie and Bundaberg standouts as drug hot spots in the region, which also reported 122 offences related to drug production.
The streets where police data showed drug flash points included the area near Monkland St, in Gympie, where there were 10 drug offences and around Maryborough St, Bundaberg where there were 23 drug offences.
IPSWICH
Ipswich police were kept busy during 2022 with 99 drug supply and selling offences recorded along with 52 offences related to drug production.
Street areas that showed up in police data as being drug offence hot spots included those near Limestone St, where there were 14 drug offences. Mansfield Place recorded 36 drug offences and Brisbane St had 11 drugs offences.
LOGAN
Logan, south of Brisbane, had its fair share of drug-related crime in 2022.
There were 45 selling and supplying drugs offences across the city, the lowest from all state regions.
The city also recorded 82 drug production offences.
Drug hot spots in Logan that showed up in police data were near Wayne Goss Dr, Crestmead where there were six drugs-related offences recorded and also near Albert St, Logan Village where there were 11 drugs offences.
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