Three arrested after police bust illicit drug labs
One of the biggest illicit drug labs in the Victoria’s history has been busted leading to the arrest of three men including Warren Shea who was acquitted of the murder of ‘vampire gigolo’ Shane Chartres-Abbott.
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A man acquitted of the murder of vampire gigolo has been charged after a major police drug operation.
Investigators busted one of the biggest illicit drug labs in the state’s history at a rural property, north 70km of Melbourne in the Macedon Ranges, after an intense probe into high-level organised drug crime.
Warren Shea, born Schievella, was arrested yesterday in a sweeping series of raids over large-scale drug manufacturing.
Joshua Seal, Peter Siaoloa and Mr Shea each faced Melbourne Magistrates Court for a brief administrative hearing on Friday.
The court heard they were each charged on Thursday following a joint investigation into the importation of a consignment of 100kg of ice.
Prosecutor Vicki Hogarth said they would need more time to prepare the police brief as the consignment needed to be forensically analysed.
Testing turnarounds would likely be delayed due to COVID-19, the court heard.
Caroline Salter, representing the trio, outlined custody management issues for each, requesting they be seen by a nurse.
She said Mr Seal sustained an injury to his arm during his arrest and was withdrawing from drugs, while Mr Shea has severe sleep apnoea and needs prescribed steroid drops.
Mr Siaoloa was also withdrawing from drugs, Ms Salter said.
An AFP statement said 100kg of what was described as a “methamphetamine analogue” had been seized by The Joint Organised Crime Taskforce.
The Taskforce, made up by members of the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police, Australian Border Force and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, discovered barrels of liquid methamphetamine as well as precursor chemicals at a large-scale clandestine lab under construction, the AFP said.
“If this had become functioning without police intervention, it is believed this would have been one of the largest illicit clandestine labs in Victoria’s history,” the statement said.
A 41-year-old Niddrie man and a 48-year-old Darraweit-Guim man were arrested on Thursday night at a home near Melbourne Airport where it will be alleged the lab was found in a shed.
A 47-year-old Hadfield man was arrested at his home.
The methamphetamine seized would be worth $52.5 million in the current COVID-affected market, the AFP said.
The Joint Organised Crime Taskforce is made up by members of the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police, Australian Border Force and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.
Dozens of people are being probed over the drug ring, including men with outlaw bikie links.
More arrests could be made as investigations continue.
Dozens of AFP officers remain at the large farmhouse on Bolinda-Darraweit Rd where the massive drug lab was uncovered on Thursday evening.
Investigators could be seen processing evidence at a tent set up outside the main shed at the rural property, located 70km north of Melbourne in the Macedon Ranges.
Neighbours on the rural road were revealed that police helicopters and sirens could be heard in the area at around 5pm on Thursday as cops raided the drug lab.
One local resident told the Herald Sun he was shocked to learn there had been a massive drug raid in the quiet farming community outside of Darraweit.
“No one around here seems to know the people [at the property] - you wouldn’t see them, they kept to themselves,” he said.
“We always found it quite odd that they live on acreage but didn’t keep any stock. Everyone around here either has cattle or horses.
“It seemed strange to have the land but not have anything on it.”
The Darraweit man added: “Initially when I seen all the police, I presumed there had been a car crash but there loads of officers with snipers arrived so it was pretty clear there was something more going on
“It was hectic. Nothing like that ever happens around here.”
Mr Shea was in 2014 cleared by a jury of murdering Chartres-Abbott in one of the most high-profile homicides in recent decades.
His close friend Mark Perry was also acquitted.
It had been alleged Mr Shea had organised the murder, which was carried out by a paid hit team.
It was alleged the motive was Chartres-Abbott viciously assaulting a girlfriend of Perry.
Chartres-Abbott was a self-proclaimed vampire who worked as a male prostitute.
Chartres-Abbott was shot at the front of his house on June 4, 2003, as he left for a court appearance over the assault.
Perry was later to disappear in the aftermath of the killing before being arrested years later, put before the Supreme Court and acquitted.
Alleged triggerman and ex-boxer Ange Goussis was also acquitted with Perry and Shea.
The men were each remanded to return to court on January 8.