Father, son charged after major MDMA lab found on Currumbin Valley property
Two men have been charged after police allegedly uncovered MDMA and cash at a drug lab reportedly connected to a national drug syndicate. FULL DETAILS
Police & Courts
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A father and son have been charged after police allegedly uncovered a major MDMA lab connected to a national drug syndicate on the Gold Coast.
Police allegedly found a commercial-scale MDMA lab – including 10kg of the drug and 20L of ‘MDMA oil’ – when they raided a Currumbin Valley property on Wednesday.
It will be alleged cash, two 1kg bags of MDMA stashed inside an oven, and a shipping container holding 20kg of chemical substances and other manufacturing equipment were also found on the property.
Police allege detectives also located further evidence of plans for the lab to scale up production, and connected the operation to a national drug trafficking network.
Two men were taken into custody at the scene.
It is further alleged that when New South Wales police searched the pair’s homes — in Bombo and Surry Hills — they found about $81,500 in cash, a money counter, and about 255g of MDMA along with chemicals and other drug manufacturing items.
A 43-year-old man has been charged with one count each of trafficking dangerous drugs, producing dangerous drugs, possessing anything used in a crime, possessing a relevant substance, and two counts of possessing dangerous drugs.
His 24-year-old son has been charged with one count each of trafficking dangerous drugs, producing dangerous drugs, possessing instructions, possessing anything used in a crime, possessing a relevant substance, contravening an order, and two counts of possessing dangerous drugs.
Both men were expected to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Police say the arrests were made as part of Operation Zebu, an ongoing operation targeting the synthetic production of drugs across Queensland.
Drug and Serious Crime Group Detective Inspector Bradley Phelps said the operation was committed to tracking down the “hazardous” drug laboratories putting innocent lives at risk.
“These labs have the potential to harm both those using them, and innocent neighbours, while putting dangerous drugs into our communities,” Det Insp Phelps said.
“These warrants are the result of dedicated joint investigations between Queensland and NSW police, and I applaud all officers involved in working to dismantle this alleged drug trafficking syndicate.”
Investigations are ongoing.
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