Meet the Melbourne suburban police unit busting drug trafficking rings

The 15-person Caulfield district response unit is punching well above its weight when it comes to busting major ice trafficking rings.

Caulfield Divisional Response Unit has recently run a succession of big operations on major drug syndicates. Picture: David Caird

A modest suburban unit is the small police office that punches way above its weight.

In a series of major operations over the past 18 months, the 15 members of the Caulfield district response unit have helped clean up major ice trafficking rings, busted massive indoor cannabis crops and made arrests of transnational criminal syndicate members.

They have broken up a gun-trafficking operation and arrested around 50 suspects for high-level offending, being rewarded with an outstanding team accolade at Victoria Police’s coveted Mick Miller awards.

Just days ago they busted two more traffickers after raiding a home in Ormond and a storage facility in Moorabbin.

Ice, MDMA, cannabis and other drugs, as well as a handgun, were uncovered as search warrants were executed.

Head of the unit Det. Sgt Shane Rix with awards and commendations on the wall. Picture: David Caird

Last month, the DRU detected 2500 cannabis plants in a Mordialloc factory in one of the state’s biggest hydroponic busts of recent memory.

In December last year, working with Hume CIU detectives and investigators from the drug taskforce, the DRU seized 600kg of cannabis at Braeside.

Simultaneous arrests were made in Queensland.

Three months earlier, the unit confiscated 400kg of cannabis in a series of raids in Melbourne’s southern suburbs.

Caulfield DRU’s Operation Definement led to the August, 2020, arrest of a man allegedly running an illegal firearms racket.

Five handguns, a longarm, controlled weapons, methamphetamine, cannabis and other drugs were seized as part of the joint effort with Dandenong DRU.

A 31-year-old man was arrested at Orrong Rd, Caulfield.

In the same month, Operation Brandish concluded with the arrest of around 30 people as part of Operation Brandish, a 12-month investigation into methylamphetamine and cocaine trafficking.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash was seized.

The modest suburban unit is punching well above its weight. Picture: David Caird

Three months earlier, the unit charged 10 people and seized guns and drugs as they busted a methylamphetamine and gun trafficking ring operating in the southeastern suburbs.

A commercial quantity of ice, a trafficable quantity of cannabis, steroids and other drugs and a stolen BMW were confiscated as part of Operation Diligent.

In June, officers had a role in an Australian Federal Police Operation Martinique, in which three men were charged over a 360kg shipment of methamphetamine, which arrived by sea cargo from Malaysia.

Five people were charged with serious matters counts including ice trafficking after the unit instigated an investigation into aggravated burglaries and car thefts in the southeast.

Members worked with officers from the drug taskforce and clandestine laboratory squad in Operation Magnate, which led to charges over allegations the Wellbeing Planet rehab facility was being used to cook drugs.

The premises, in Elsternwick, was formerly the Daily Planet brothel.

There will be no resting on their laurels, Detective Sgt Shane Rix of the DRU said.

“The Caulfield DRU will continue to target local drug traffickers, cultivators and manufacturers by disrupting and dismantling their networks, as well as seizing any assets and property that are used in the proceeds of this crime.”