Clarinda: $100k of ecstasy, cocaine and cannabis, and rifles, machetes found

Police have seized about $100,000 worth of drugs ready for distribution, $300,000 in cash and a collection of weapons including rifles and machetes from two rental houses in Clarinda.

Police have seized about $100,000 worth of drugs ready for distribution, $300,000 in cash and a collection of weapons including rifles and machetes from two rental houses in Clarinda.

About 100 growing cannabis plants were also uncovered when officers raided the adjoining Clayton Rd properties about 9am yesterday.

A 37-year-old Clarinda man and a 40-year-old Clarinda woman believed to be living at the houses with their young child were arrested.

The man has since been charged with a number of offences and is due to go before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today for a remand and file hearing.

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Detective Senior-Sergeant Shane Rix said officers were still tallying the huge amount of evidence seized from the search warrants.

He said police had uncovered a commercial quantity of ecstasy with an estimated street value of $68,000 and a large amount of cocaine with an estimated street value of $20,000.

About 100 cannabis plants were being cultivated at the houses, he said, while 5-8kg of dried cannabis ready for distribution was also found.

Police are still counting the bundles of cash found in the drug den.

The detective said police were still counting the many bundles of cash found hidden around the property, with some locked in “secret safes”.

He said they had counted more than $150,000, but the total was suspected to be around $300,000.

Police discovered an arsenal distributed around the house, including a sawn-off 22 rifle with a full magazine, a longarm 22 rifle, a large amount of ammunition, six edged weapons and knuckle dusters.

“The weapons were placed around the house in places where they could be accessed quite quickly,” Det Sen-Sergeant Rix said.

He said some were positioned behind doors, likely because the resident feared intruders coming after the huge amount of cash and drugs stored in the houses.

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Items used for disguise, including a balaclava, were found along with high-end jewellery, such as a Rolex watch, believed to be proceeds of crime.

The detective said police would investigate the drug cultivation and trafficking, which could lead to other crimes being discovered.

The woman has been released pending summons, but Det Sen-Sergeant Rix said he suspected she would face charges at a later date.

The man was charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of ecstasy, trafficking cannabis, trafficking cocaine, possessing a drug of dependence, cultivating cannabis, proceeds of crime, unlicensed possession of firearms and a number of prohibited weapons offences.