Couple caught boarding Spirit of Tasmania in Geelong with 6kg of MDMA as part of Operation Vitreus
A man and woman have allegedly been caught trying to board the Spirit of Tasmania with 6kg of MDMA hidden in their luggage in a nationwide operation that seized more than $90m in drugs.
Victoria
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A couple has allegedly been caught trying to board the Spirit of Tasmania with 6kg of MDMA hidden in their luggage.
The bust was part of a nationwide drug crackdown which resulted in 1600 people being arrested, 2900 charges laid and $93m of drugs seized.
This included close to 1400kg of illicit drugs and more than 2500 cannabis plants, while 71 guns and $2.2m in cash was also confiscated.
The seizures were part of Operation Vitreus which involved all state and territory police, as well as the Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the dirty money watchdog Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre and New Zealand Police.
It ran for five days from August 19 to 23.
In Victoria, drugs including heroin, methylamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, ketamine, 1,4-Butanediol and cannabis with a street value of more than $3m were seized.
Twenty-five guns and $100,000 in cash was also confiscated.
The local operation, led by Victoria Police Crime Command Organised Crime Division, resulted in 268 arrests and 568 drug related charges.
A key bust came when police stopped a man and woman about to board the Spirit of Tasmania at the port of Geelong, allegedly finding 6kg of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, in their suitcase.
A 44-year-old Newport man has been charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of MDMA.
He was remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on November 26.
Victoria Police Organised Crime Division detective superintendent Dave Cowan said the operation was “unfortunately… just a snapshot of what police regularly see in terms of the use of illicit drugs in Australia”.
“Over $93m worth of illicit drugs were seized throughout the country last week alone, and whilst it’s an incredible result, it aptly highlights the seemingly insatiable demand there is in Australia for illicit substances,” he said.
“We are at a pivotal point in this fight against illicit drugs, and ultimately, we must challenge the attitudes around the use of illicit drugs in our community.
“Alongside our partner agencies, we are completely committed to making Victoria as hostile an environment as possible for anyone associated with the trafficking of drugs.
“The success of this week of action should serve as a reminder to anyone in Australia who is involved in illicit drug and organised crime activity: we will find you and we will hold you accountable.”
Anyone with information on illicit drug activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
How state government plans to avoid another VCE leaks scandal
The government has revealed details of what’s involved in its review of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s exam-setting process following last year’s leaked questions fiasco.
Book pulled from schools amid author’s sexual assault allegations
Mount Alexander College is one of several schools to have pulled a Neil Gaiman novel from English reading lists after the best-selling author was accused of sexual assault and human trafficking.