ANOTHER 34 officers will join specialist WA Police teams battling to disrupt the supply of methamphetamine, or ice, the highly addictive drug destroying lives across Australia.
The $3 million boost in funding to WA Police meth teams over the next year will contribute to the State Government’s meth action plan launched in August last year.
Deputy Premier and Police Minister Liza Harvey announced the additional funding on Monday.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWThe fund allocation will pay for another eight vehicles.
“This money will fund police officers as well as specialist roles, including interpreters, legal officers and intelligence analysts, to help combat the supply of meth into WA,” she said.
“The officers and vehicles will also help enforce the Government’s new drug transit route legislation, which targets vehicles travelling through known drug routes as well as courier and freight facilities which are unwittingly being used by drug traffickers,” she said.
Mrs Harvey said the WA action plan had strengthened multi-agency partnerships targeting ‘meth money trails’ by road, rail, air and post and helped establish joint agency teams.
The combined efforts resulted in more than 700kg of meth seized, 466 offenders charged and 561 warrants executed in 2015-2016.
“We have also invested significantly in reducing the demand through rehabilitation services and education,” she said.