Four charged after major police sting nets cash, meth in Melbourne’s bayside suburbs

Four men have been charged after police made a string of arrests among an alleged organised crime syndicate accused of importing liquid methamphetamine to prepare it for sale.

A commercial-grade dehydrator suspected of being used to convert liquid meth to crystal has been seized by police in a major joint operation.

Arrests were made at Albert Park, Port Melbourne and Macleod as officers carried out a wave of warrants on an organised crime syndicate allegedly involved in importing the liquid product then preparing it for sale.

Four men have been charged as part of an operation dubbed Greenwell Point, which involved the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and the Australian Border Force.

Men aged 30, 39 and 41 were arrested in Albert Park on Tuesday, a 39-year-old at Macleod and a 35-year-old in Port Melbourne.

The dehydrator, which could convert the liquid product into a more valuable crystalised form, was seized at a property in North Melbourne.

Police believe the finished material was being distributed across Melbourne.

Investigators carried out a total of 15 warrants in which they seized about $180,000 cash, 23 litres of 1,4 butanediol, 20 litres of acetone, a crypto wallet, about 9kg of methamphetamine, and a cash-counting machine.

Four men have been charged as part of an operation dubbed Greenwell Point, which involved the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and the Australian Border Force.

A Docklands man, 39, has been charged with one count of trafficking a commercial quantity of methamphetamine, manufacturing a commercial quantity of methamphetamine, dealing in the proceeds of crime, possessing a controlled drug, causing harm to a public official and obstructing a Commonwealth official.

An Airport West man, 30, has been charged with one count of trafficking methamphetamine and dealing in the proceeds of crime.

A 35-year-old Highett man was charged with trafficking methamphetamine, dealing in the proceeds of crime, possessing a controlled drug and possessing a controlled drug.

A Macleod man, 39, has been charged with one count of trafficking a commercial quantity of methamphetamine.

Police said investigations into the group remained ongoing.

AFP Detective Inspector David Macgregor said criminals the amount of methamphetamine seized could have been sold as about 9000 street level deals.

“(It) would have caused widespread harm, with the negative impact felt in domestic violence, in our hospitals and the road toll,” he said.

“The AFP and partners are committed to protecting the community from the scourge of drugs and to targeting individuals who seek to profit from the illicit trade.

“This is a terrific result for our investigators, intelligence and capability members who work hard every day to keep our community safe.”

Detective Inspector Dan Ryan of Victoria Police said the negative community effects of such an amount when sold to the public were significant.

“Unfortunately, the use of methylamphetamine per capita in Australia is matched by no other nation in the world,” Det-Insp Ryan said.

“The prevalence of these illicit substances within our society and the impact they have on human behaviour translates into road trauma, family violence, homicides, shootings and other violent offending intrinsically linked to the illicit drug trade.

“The damage caused by the use of methylamphetamine ripples throughout the community, and it does not just affect those using the drug.

ABF Supt Ben Michalke said methamphetamine was a scourge on society and ABF officers would continue to work tirelessly to do their part in keeping it off the streets and Australians safe.

Originally published as Four charged after major police sting nets cash, meth in Melbourne’s bayside suburbs