Toorak man arrested after police bust alleged meth lab in Coburg North

A Toorak man accused of trafficking meth was among five people arrested after police busted an alleged multimillion-dollar drug manufacturing ring during a sprawling cross-city operation.

A Toorak man has been arrested after a large-scale drug laboratory was uncovered as part of a sprawling cross-city police operation.

He was among five people arrested after a four-month clandestine laboratory squad investigation which ended with a raid on a home in Coburg North on Thursday.

A search of the property allegedly uncovered a large amount of methylamphetamine, precursor chemicals, scientific glassware, solvents and chemicals.

Also seized was literature on drug manufacturing.

The Toorak man, 44, was arrested at Coburg North and charged with trafficking methylamphetamine, possessing articles to manufacture drugs and permitting a person to use land to manufacture.

He was bailed to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on August 23.

A Hadfield man, 36, was arrested at Maribyrnong on Thursday night as he allegedly tried to flee police with drugs on him.

Police arrest a Hadfield man who was allegedly the "cook" for a major drug lab in Coburg North.

They will allege he was the “cook” for the Coburg North lab.

He was charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of methylamphetamine, possessing articles to manufacture drugs, three counts of failing to answer bail, resisting police and possession of methylamphetamine.

The Hadfield man has been remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on August 23.

The Coburg arm of the operation followed an April 18 search warrant on a Pascoe Vale home where investigators found commercial quantities of methylamphetamine, amphetamine and precursor chemicals.

A 53-year-old Pascoe Vale man was later charged with two counts of trafficking a commercial quantity of methylamphetamine, trafficking a commercial quantity of amphetamine, and two counts of possessing articles to manufacture.

That man remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on August 23.

The Hadfield man was remanded to face court in August.

A day later, a 53-year-old man was arrested after a raid on a Glen Iris home but released pending further inquiries.

On Monday, as part of the same inquiry, detectives searched a West Melbourne property where they found methylamphetamine, cocaine and 1,4-Butanediol.

A 44-year-old man who was living at that address was extradited to Queensland where he had allegedly breached parole.

Detective Acting Insp. Mark Crevatin of the clandestine laboratory squad said the operation had stopped a significant meth production line and prevented millions of dollars of drug profit flowing back into the syndicate.

“Methylamphetamine, even in small amounts, causes immense harm to users, their loved ones, and the community around them, through the impact on the health care system and the criminality that often goes hand-in-hand with drug offences,” Insp. Crevatin said

“It is an extremely destructive illicit substance, and we will continue to unapologetically target and arrest anyone who seeks to line their pockets at the expense of our community.”