Victorian cocaine dealers: Suburbs with most dealing of illicit drug
A suburb in Melbourne’s northwest is the state’s hotspot for cocaine dealers, it can be revealed, but several areas across the city’s west, north and southeast aren’t too far behind. SEE THE FULL LIST
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A northwest Melbourne suburb has been revealed as a hotspot for cocaine dealers.
The latest Crime Statistics Agency data in the year to March reveals Maribyrnong as having the state’s most cocaine drug dealing and trafficking offences at 14, Melbourne’s CBD (13) came in second, while West Melbourne (12), came in third.
Other suburbs that made the top 10 were St Kilda (10), Craigieburn (8), Werribee (7), Cranbourne and Port Melbourne (6) and Frankston (5).
Melbourne took the top spot the previous year at (31), Flemington and Kensington (24) and Melbourne Airport at (20).
It comes as 11 people were charged after a major drug bust in the city’s southeast last month.
The bust included seizing a commercial quantity of what they believed to be cocaine and methylamphetamine, along with large amounts of GHB and cannabis.
Arrests were carried out by police spanned at least ten suburbs as part of Operation Brandish’s ongoing investigation into drug trafficking across the city that has been running for almost a year.
Earlier this year, a “large-scale” drug lab was busted in what police allege to be party drug syndicate.
The lab was found at an address on Swaran Close, in Rowville, after Victoria Police officers executed a search warrant in March.
Detectives from the Croydon Divisional Response Unit allegedly seized ecstasy/MDMA, ketamine, cocaine, cash, designer watches and equipment at the property.
Data also obtained by Leader reveals Melbourne’s CBD as having the most cocaine drug use and possession offences at 67, with Southbank (36) second and Prahran (29).
A Victoria Police spokesman said while drug use in the Victorian community continued to be a significant concern for police, both in rural and metropolitan areas, an increase in the detection of offences such as drug use and possession was actually considered a positive result.
“With more police in the community than ever before, Victoria Police has the resources to detect criminal offences such as drug use and possession, which may have previously gone undetected and this is reflected in the statistics,” the spokesman said.
“It is also important to remember the postcodes attached to each offence are where the offence is detected and not where the offender resides, while a number of postcodes with higher numbers of drug-related offences also have a significant number of licensed premises.”
The spokesman said police were committed to the pillars of drug harm minimisation – those being prevention, treatment, reducing harm and reducing supply.
“Victoria Police has zero tolerance for drug traffickers, especially those who prey on the vulnerable. In order to drive down the harm caused by drugs in our communities.
“This includes work on a localised level with Divisional Response Units and Crime Investigation Units, right up to the state and international level with Victoria Police’s Drug Taskforce and the Melbourne-based Joint Organised Crime Task Force led by the AFP and including Victoria Police, Australian Border Force and the Australian Crime Intelligence Commission.”
He said coronavirus restrictions had also meant police were more readily able to identify suspicious or illegal activity in the community, leading to detections of drug related offending on Victoria’s streets.
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