Police target drug traffickers and crime in Richmond during Operation Apollo

Just hours after police announced a drug blitz operation on Richmond, a man has been arrested suspected of trafficking heroin.

A blood filled needle in a laneway, Richmond. Picture: Nicole Garmston

A 61-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of heroin trafficking just hours after police began a drugs sweep in Richmond on Monday.

Operation Apollo’s focus was on drug dealers, especially those operating around Victoria St, where drug trafficking had long been a concern, Acting Inspector Trish Duke said.

Insp. Duke said the crackdown was not prompted by the opening of a safe-injecting room six months ago. Police would be arresting drug dealers, not drug users, she said.

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Police will target drug users in Richmond during the operation. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Extra uniformed and undercover officers would be drafted in from surrounding areas for the operation, which will also use the dog squad.

There were fears that announcing the operation could warn dealers to stay clear, but Insp. Duke said the decision had been taken so the large police presence would not alarm people.

“If it keeps the drug traffickers away, then we can still gain whatever intelligence we can (to identify those involved),” Insp. Duke said.

Local residents told the Herald Sun they were “glad police were trying” to tackle the drug scourge, but were not hopeful it would be effective.

“I don’t think announcing it to all the dealers is a great idea,” one Elizabeth St resident said. “They’ll just go away and return in a couple of weeks.”

The crime blitz comes five months after the injecting room opened. Picture: Wayne Taylor

She had seen a large increase in the number of dealers in the area since the safe-injecting room opened.

“It’s the honey-pot effect. They’re moving in and setting up shop outside the injecting room where they know they’ve got a guaranteed market,” she said.

She said police should focus not only on dealers but on crimes associated with drug use such as theft and assault, and on users driving under the influence after leaving the injecting room. “The stuff we’re seeing is appalling,” she said.

Previous annual reports, revealed last year, showed police were concerned an injecting room might interfere with local policing. Insp. Duke said police would ensure those breaking the law were held to account.

“We will have a highly visible presence in and around Richmond, in particular at transport hubs and public hot spots,” she said. “There is a massive variety of drugs out there at the moment … we’re finding everything.”

A Thomastown man, 61, was bailed to face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on March 13 on charges of trafficking and possessing drugs.

Operation Apollo runs until the end of next week. A similar operation one weekend last August resulted in 50 arrests.

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