segunda-feira, 14 de junho de 2010

Drug raids lead to home seizures

WEST Australian police have seized drugs, cash, houses and stolen vehicles in co-ordinated raids across the state over the weekend.
About 150 officers from 16 units targeted drug dealers throughout Perth and regional WA, serving 58 warrants.

Police said the operation took three months to plan and led to 124 charges laid against 81 people.

Three clandestine drug labs were located and $1.3 million worth of assets frozen, including three houses used to grow cannabis and one premises used for the manufacturing of amphetamines.

More than $70,000 in cash was seized, and stolen vehicles worth $70,000 were recovered.

Drugs seized included 2.09kg of cannabis, 48 cannabis plants, 26g of methylamphetamine, 2g of heroin, 6g of LSD and 200ml of steroids.

Under WA's tough confiscation of assets laws, anyone convicted of two or more serious drug offences in 10 years and then convicted of a subsequent offence can be declared a drug trafficker.

Once declared, all their assets can be seized - whether they are proceeds of crime or not.

Police said more charges may follow after chemical analysis of seized substances.