POLICE have charged ten people following an investigation into alleged gun and drug trafficking activity.
On 23 June, police executed search warrants at a number of properties in the south-eastern suburbs. During those raids police seized a 22 calibre handgun, a shortened double barrel shotgun, pen pistol, ammunition, tasers, and firearm components, as well as drugs including methylamphetamine, cocaine, cannabis, GHB, steroids, and prescription medications. Allegedly stolen property including a BMW was also seized.
The following day police executed more search warrants, this time in Chelsea, Bentleigh, Hampton East and Elsternwick. They seized items including methylamphetamine, forms of identification, and more allegedly stolen property.
A 32-year-old Chelsea woman was among those arrested. She was charged with handle stolen goods and possess proceeds of crime, and was bailed to appear at Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on 2 February next year.
The other arrested people were from Elsternwick, Hampton East, Oakleigh South, Brighton, Bentleigh East, Cheltenham, and Clayton South.
Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Rix said “we’ve arrested ten people who are believed to be linked to significant drug and firearm offending, as well as being linked to other crimes such as burglaries, thefts and deception offences.”
“We know this type of offending continues to be a significant concern for members of our community and we want to reassure everyone that police will continue to work tirelessly to dismantle and disrupt groups which seek to cause harm,” he said. “By disrupting crime syndicates in the south eastern suburbs, we hope to see a flow on effect in the community with a reduction in street and drug-related crime.”
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 1 July 2020