Christopher Bower: Queanbeyan cocaine bust sees man charged

A man has been arrested after police seized close to $1 million worth of cocaine allegedly found in a storage unit during a probe into suppliers in Canberra and Queanbeyan.

Christopher Bower, 28, of Goulburn, was arrested after a police investigation into the discovery of nearly 1kg of cocaine in a storage shed in Queanbeyan. Picture: NSW Police

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Police have arrested an alleged drug dealer who they believe is responsible for nearly $1 million worth of cocaine seized during a raid on a storage unit in Queanbeyan in April.

Goulburn man Christopher Alexander Bower, 28, appeared briefly in the Queanbeyan Local Court on Friday, where he was formally refused bail.

Bower was charged with supplying a large commercial quantity of cocaine after the police raid on a storage unit in Aurora Ave three months ago, where investigators found nearly 2kg of cocaine.

That amount of the drug has a street value of around $900,000, NSW police said in a statement on Friday.

The raid, and Bowers arrest, was a result of Strike Force Rogal, in which NSW and ACT police are investigating large-scale drug suppliers in Queanbeyan and Canberra.

Months of investigations following the raid in April on Friday culminated in Bower’s arrest at the Queanbeyan police station.

Southern Region Enforcement Squad Commander, Detective Chief Inspector Joe Thone, said police will not tolerate criminal behaviour or activity.

Christopher Bower, 28, of Goulburn, will face Wollongong Local Court on Monday.

“We are sending a clear warning to anyone who is thinking about engaging in the supply of illicit drugs,” he said.

“There are a number of ongoing investigations into criminal activity in Southern NSW, and we are leaving no stone unturned.

“We will continue to target those engaging in the supply of illicit drugs, and rest assured anyone who engages in these activities will face the full brunt of the law.”

Bower is expected to appear by video link in Wollongong Local Court on Monday from Goulburn jail.