February 24, 2015
South Burnett and Darling Downs police have charged 19 people with 45 offences following a co-ordinated series of drug raids across the region last week.
Acting Senior Sergeant Brad Johannesen, from Kingaroy Police, said “Operation News” began on Wednesday and ended on Saturday.
Police from the Darling Downs District Tactical Crime Squad joined with local police from Blackbutt, Cooyar, Kingaroy, Nanango and Yarraman to search a string of town and rural properties.
Acting Snr Sgt Johannesen said a 48-year-old Nanango man will face six drugs charges – including producing and supplying dangerous drugs – and two weapons offences after a search warrant was executed on his Nanango property.
Police will allege they found 230 cannabis plants, some over 2m tall, as well as a quantity of cannabis seed and dried cannabis leaf, along with a .410 shotgun and nunchucks.
The man has been bailed to re-appear in Kingaroy Magistrates Court on March 30.
Thirteen people, facing a total of 26 charges, have been issued with Notices To Appear in either Kingaroy or Nanango courts.
Five people, facing a total of 11 charges, have been offered the opportunity to attend a Drug Diversion Assessment Program.
Senior Sergeant Scott Stahlhut, officer-in-charge of the Darling Downs District Tactical Crime Squad, said Operation News was a “collaborative saturation-type operation” which had been driven by intelligence and information provided by the community.
He said the Darling Downs-based squad was a highly mobile unit which has a strong focus on illicit drug investigations.
“The Tactical Crime Squad will continue to patrol areas in the northern Darling Downs and into the South Burnett,” he said.
Kingaroy police now have the problem of storing the illicit drugs recovered until experts can inspect and certify the plants.
At the moment, two cells in the Kingaroy Watchhouse are filled with cannabis plants awaiting scientific examination.
