Matthew Michael Button and Joshua Alan Trudgett charged with drug and gun offences
A police strike force has swooped on a car on a remote highway and an alleged drug house in a small town nearly 50km away after an investigation into gun, drug and domestic violence allegations.
NSW
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Two men remain behind bars on remand after being charged with drug supply and firearm offences following their separate arrests by strike force investigators in Far West NSW.
Strike Force Meningie officers stopped a vehicle on the Gwydir Highway at Collarenebri about 6.30am on Tuesday before allegedly finding a .22 calibre rifle, 40 rounds of .22 calibre ammunition and over seven grams of cannabis.
The driver, 34-year-old Matthew Michael Button, was arrested at the scene and taken to Walgett police station where he was charged with two counts of supplying a prohibited drug on an ongoing basis, and one count each of possessing a prohibited drug, possessing an unauthorised firearm, possessing an unregistered firearm, possessing ammunition.
Button was also charged with two counts of stalk/intimidate, two counts of using a carriage service – threaten to kill and one count of breaching an apprehended domestic violence order.
He faced Lightning Ridge Local Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to the two counts of using a carriage service – threaten to kill and one count of breaching the ADVO.
Button pleaded not guilty to the two counts of stalk/intimidate.
He was not required to enter pleas for the drug and firearms charges and was refused bail.
Less than three hours after his arrest, Strike Force Meningie investigators raided a Walgett home where they alleged located six resealable plastic bags containing “small quantities of a crystalline substance and other items associated with drug supply”, police said in a statement.
“Clothing believed to be associated with an outlaw motorcycle group was also seized,” the police statement said.
Joshua Alan Trudgett, 35, was arrested at the Euroka St house and later charged with three counts of supplying a prohibited drug on an ongoing basis, and one count each of supplying a small quantity of a prohibited drug, possessing a prohibited drug, acquiring ammunition subject to firearms prohibition order and operating a drug premises as the owner or occupier.
Trudgett also faced Lightning Ridge Local Court on Wednesday where he was not required to enter any pleas and was formally remanded in custody after not applying for bail.
Both men are due to reappear in court on April 14.
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Originally published as Matthew Michael Button and Joshua Alan Trudgett charged with drug and gun offences
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