Drug lab busted, $2.5m of ice and assault rifle allegedly found in midnight raids on inner west units
More than $2.5 million worth of ice was seized from an alleged drug lab in an inner west Sydney penthouse apartment, while a loaded military-grade assault rifle was found at another unit used by an alleged ice dealing syndicate.
More than $2.5 million worth of ice was seized from an alleged drug lab in an inner west Sydney penthouse apartment, while a loaded military-grade assault rifle was found at another unit used by an alleged ice dealing syndicate.
On Thursday night, Queensland man Mohammed Aljubouri, 23, was arrested in a Lidcombe industrial estate at 10pm as police found $66,000 in the van he was driving.
Two hours later heavily armed police swooped on four men — aged 26, 28, 39 and 47 — as they left a Strathfield unit block.
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In the Strathfield penthouse Drug and Firearms Squad allegedly found a “large-scale clandestine laboratory” which was being used to make ice. Officers found five kilograms of the drug with a street value of between $750,000 and $2.5 million.
Police then executed a search warrant at a Lidcombe apartment where they found a loaded M4 carbine assault rifle, a 9mm pistol, 200 rounds of ammunition, $11,000 in cash, drug paraphernalia and ice.
A second drug lab was in Carlingford believed to be linked to the alleged syndicate was also raided on Friday.
It’s believed one of the alleged syndicate members, Victorian man Mason Chan, 26, was linked to a rental van found last year by police loaded with hundreds of litres of chemicals and kilograms of methamphetamine.
Police said they would allege in court that the Chan was wanted by police after a rental van hired in his name was repossessed in June 2018 and found with nearly 10kg of methylamphetamine, 160 litres of hydrochloric acid, 60 litres of methanol and 60 litres of acetone.
In February this year the Drug and Firearms Squad began investigating a criminal network believed to be manufacturing and distributing a large amount of methamphetamine in Sydney.
The five men, including Duong Lee, 28, Yan Gao, 39 and Gavin Ardus, 47, were charged with a string of offences including being part of a criminal group
Officers grabbed the four other men — Chan, as they fled a Strathfield penthouse two hours later.
Police will allege the five men were all involved in the large-scale commercial manufacture and supply of ice.
They were refused bail to appear in court on Friday.
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