WA Police has seized 59kg of meth and caused a significant disruption to the cannabis grow house industry as a result of two recent Organised Crime Squad investigations.
The investigations, which were unrelated, saw a string of search warrants executed in the Perth metro area over the past two weeks.
Operation Trident Coyote involved search warrants in South Lake, Perth and Rivervale.
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READ NOWAs a result of these searches, police seized 59kg of methylamphetamine.
Two men, a 44-year-old from Bennett Springs and a 28-year-old from South Lake, were arrested at a South Lake home last Friday.
Two New South Wales men, aged 41 and 28, were arrested at a Perth hotel where police also seized $66,750.
A 45-year-old Victorian man was arrested at a Rivervale hotel where $70,950 was seized.
All five men have been charged with serious offences including conspiracy to supply a trafficable quantity of prohibited drug, possessing a trafficable quantity of a prohibited drug and possessing stolen or unlawfully obtained property.
They have appeared in court and are all due to reappear at a later date.
Another operation, Taskforce Silverdrift, was established in 2017 to investigate cannabis grow houses.
On Monday, search warrants were executed at a commercial property in Malaga and properties in Morley, Thornlie, Belmont and Ballajura.
Eight people were arrested and charged with serious offences, while 30 pallets of hydroponic equipment, growing chemicals and large quantities of cannabis were seized.
More than 30,000 cannabis plants, 708kg of cannabis head and $1.7 million cash has also been seized as a result of Taskforce Silverdrift investigations.
“The Organised Crime Squad has achieved outstanding results in removing dangerous illicit drugs from our community,” WA Police Force Commissioner Chris Dawson said.
“These drugs have a serious impact upon our community – including crime in our neighbourhoods, health and mental health systems, and upon the families of those addicted to these harmful drugs.”