Tennant Creek police bust arrests nine people for alleged cannabis syndicate

A major drug syndicate has allegedly been busted in an outback Territory town.

A MAJOR DRUG syndicate has allegedly been busted in an outback Territory town.

Northern Territory Police confirmed they had arrested nine people at Tennant Creek on Wednesday allegedly in connection to a drug empire worth more than $500,000.

Detective Sergeant Marek Hutchinson-Goncz said the arrests were a result of a Tennant Creek police investigation, codenamed Operation AMYL.

The three and a half month investigation aimed to disrupt the supply of commercial cannabis in the Barkly region and associated Aboriginal communities.

Det. Sgt. Hutchinson-Goncz alleged the group supplied more than 21kg of cannabis over 12 months to the Barkly community, and made more than half a million dollars in profits.

Detectives from the Tennant Creek Investigation Unit, Alice Springs Investigation Unit and Tennant Creek officers arrested six men aged and three women, aged between 26 and 62-years-old on Wednesday.

All nine were charged with supplying and possessing a commercial quantity of cannabis, and possessing tainted property.

They were remanded to appear before the Alice Springs Local Court on Thursday.

Det Sgt Hutchinson-Goncz said the seizure would have an impact on the supply of drugs across the Barkly region.

“Police continue to have a zero tolerance to organised crime anywhere in the Northern Territory,” he said

“We will continue to actively pursue those who choose to profit off of vulnerable members in our communities.”