$40,000 bag of cocaine, luxury cars seized as part of police operation Kokomo

When heavily armed police burst into a luxury Melbourne apartment tower, a $40,000 bag of cocaine was thrown from the 16th floor. But jettisoning the powder proved futile when it landed near cops standing on the footpath below.

A $40,000 bag of cocaine was flung from a luxury apartment tower after heavily armed police burst in for a drug raid.

But jettisoning the powder from the 16th floor proved a futile exercise when it just missed other cops standing below on the inner-Melbourne footpath.

Cocaine bag thrown from a Bowen Crescent apartment tower during a police raid.

The ziplock bag containing 100 grams of high-grade cocaine ruptured and some of its contents flew onto the concrete.

It was taken away from the Bowen Crescent scene for forensic examination.

Top quality cocaine is currently selling for about $400 per gram in Melbourne, giving the bag an estimated value of $40,000.

The apartment block where a bag of cocaine was flung from the 16th storey. Picture: Brendan Beckett

The cocaine bag was taken away from the Bowen Crescent scene for forensic examination. Picture: Brendan Beckett

The swoop was part of a sprawling 10-month operation by investigators from the Prahran divisional response unit who say it has dismantled a cocaine and ketamine trafficking ring.

Thirteen people were arrested in Operation Kokomo’s day of raids in which drugs and crime proceeds with a total value of $1.4 million were seized.

Warrants were carried out on addresses and vehicles in Melbourne, South Yarra, Richmond, Hawthorn, Flemington, Ascot Vale, North Melbourne, West Melbourne and Tullamarine.

A car seized as part of police Operation Kokomo investigating cocaine and ketamine trafficking.

Those detained are allegedly part of a syndicate trafficking drugs across metropolitan Melbourne.

Eight have been charged with trafficking commercial quantities of cocaine and ketamine, an offence which has a maximum sentence of 25 years imprisonment.

They are three Melbourne men aged 35, 36 and 41, Melbourne women aged 35 and 67, a 32 year-old Ascot Vale man, a 34-year-old South Yarra woman and a West Melbourne man, 30.

Seven have been remanded to face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on March 11 next year and the 67-year-old woman was bailed.

Suspects arrested as part of Operation Kokomo.

Those detained are allegedly part of a syndicate trafficking drugs across Melbourne.

Investigators seized a total of 1kg of cocaine worth an estimated $400,000, 520 grams of ketamine with a street value of $520,000, as well as smaller quantities of methylamphetamine, cannabis, steroids, magic mushrooms and prescription medication.

The seven cars towed away by police had a total value of $390,000 and included a 2022 BMW X3, a 2019 Mercedes Benz E63, a 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan, a 2017 Audi RS3 and a 2016 BMW 320I.

Operation Kokomo seized a total of 1kg of cocaine, 520 grams of ketamine and smaller quantities of other drugs.

An imitation handgun and $115,050 cash were also uncovered, along with two Rolex watches valued at $200,000, $140,000 in silver bullion and multiple identity documents.

The operation was of such significance that a vast range of force resources were called in to assist.

They included the Port Phillip, Stonnington, Melbourne, Yarra and Hume CIU offices, DRUs from Greater Dandenong, Moorabbin, Melbourne and Box Hill, uniformed officers stationed at Prahran, members from the City of Port Phillip and Stonnington neighbourhood policing and crime reduction teams, the major drug squad, the dog squad, the critical incident response team, the special operations group, the joint organised crime team and the Australian Federal Police.

The major police operation was carried out using a vast range of force resources.

Police say the investigation showed there was no such thing as easy money.

Detective Sgt Tim Moreland said such investigations showed there was no such thing as easy money.

“A lavish lifestyle funded by drugs can change in the blink of an eye to several years in a prison cell,” he said.

“We also don’t stop once the arrests have been made. We seek the forfeiture of all proceeds of crime, so if an offender leaves prison with the intention to recommence trafficking, they won’t do so from a position of financial strength.”