Police seek to stop flow of ice into WA

Operation Trident is a joint effort between a number of agencies including the dog squad, forensics, detectives and corrective services.

Nine tonnes of mail was examined, with 121.6 grams of methamphetamine, 16 MDMA tablets, 5kg of cannabis, 100 vials of anabolic steroids and a handgun with seven magazines discovered.

Similar operations, co-ordinated by WA Police's newly established Meth Desk and Meth Teams, will be held in future.

Police Minister Liza Harvey said under the plan, WA Police would establish Meth Transport Teams to target supply routes into the State.

"We know the majority of methamphetamine is being imported into WA and the Meth Transport Teams will aim to stop the flow of drugs before they reach the streets," Mrs Harvey said.

She said there would also be dedicated Meth Teams in the Organised Crime squad targeting methamphetamine dealers in metropolitan and regional WA.

"Methamphetamine is unlike any drug we have seen before in WA; it is linked to the vast majority of crime and comes with an unprecedented level of violence," she said.

But State Opposition Leader Mark McGowan said the Government was not tackling the problem at its roots, particularly given that WA has double the national average use of methamphetamine.

"We need education programs in our schools, in our colleges and advertising campaigns," Mr McGowan said.

�We also need to make sure people who already have a methamphetamine addiction have somewhere to go when they are ready to get off it.

�Just focusing on the law and order angle will not solve the long-term problem.

�While I support measures to disrupt the supply line, that is not a major part of the solution; the major part of the solution is stopping people taking it in the first place.

"Once they are hooked, it is very difficult to get them off."