More than $15 million worth of illicit drugs have been seized and two men arrested when drug squad detectives shut down a large clandestine laboratory following an operation in Box Hill yesterday.
Earlier this year Drug Squad detectives formed Strike Force Finney to investigate the large scale manufacture and supply of prohibited drugs.
Shortly before 6pm on Wednesday, July 2, detectives stopped a car in Box Hill. The two occupants of the car – a 35-year-old man from Bondi Beach and a 24-year-old Cranebrook man – were arrested, before police executed a warrant at a nearby property.
On the property, officers located a set-up consistent with a large scale clandestine laboratory. Of note, police located and seized one kilogram of crystal methylamphetamine (‘Ice), three litres of methylamphetamine oil, and in excess of 200 items that can be used in the manufacture of methylamphetamine and MDMA.
A short time later, detectives executed a second search warrant at an apartment in Bondi Beach, where they located 17 kilograms of what are believed to be MDMA tablets (approximately 70,000 tablets), 4 kilograms of what is believed MDMA powder, more than 4 kilograms of crystal methylamphetamine and a ballistics vest.
The total potential street value of the drugs seized – total 21 kilograms of MDMA (tablets and powder), five kilograms of crystal methylamphetamine and three litres of methylamphetamine oil – is approximately $15 million.
Both men were taken to Quakers Hill Police Station, where the Bondi Beach man was charged with:
- Two counts of manufacturing a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug;
- Three counts of supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug;
- One count of supply commercial quantity of a prohibited drug; and,
- One count of supply indictable quantity of a prohibited drug.
The Cranebrook man was charged with:
- Two counts of manufacturing a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.
Both men were refused police bail and appeared in Parramatta Local Court yesterday (Thursday 3 July 2014), where they were again refused bail to next appear in Central Local Court on 28 August 2014.
Police are today (Friday, July 4) continuing to process the site of the clandestine laboratory in Box Hill.
