A man has been charged following the alleged discovery of $.5 million worth of ‘ice’ in a van on the Pacific Highway on Monday afternoon.
Highway patrol officers stopped a rental van shortly after 2.30pm (September 15) on the at Tabbimoble south of Evans Head, after they detected the vehicle travelling at high speed.
Officers spoke with the 21-year-old driver before searching his vehicle where they allegedly located over 500 grams of methylamphetamine commonly known as ‘ice’, which they estimate had a potential street value of $500,000.
The driver was arrested and taken to Grafton Police Station where he assisted detectives from Coffs/Clarence Local Area Command.
He was then charged with supply a prohibited drug – commercial quantity.
He was refused bail and will appear in Grafton Local Court today.
Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, Commander of the Traffic & Highway Patrol Command, said that those engaged in transporting contraband on our roads have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
‘Traffic & Highway Patrol officers across NSW are continuing to identify drugs, guns, significant amounts of cash, stolen property, and other contraband on our roads.’
‘While our main focus is road safety, intercepts such as this present significant opportunities to attack the transportation of drugs on our highways,’ said Assistant Commissioner John Hartley.
‘Not only is this a significant arrest, this is also a case where our officers have potentially minimised the risk of those involved in drug use being adversely affected.’
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This intercept is testimony to the dedication and tenacity of Traffic & Highway Patrol Officers across NSW, and Criminal Investigators that prosecute these matters, all for the benefit of proactively attacking the distribution of drugs across NSW, and Australia.’
Police are urging anyone with information about this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au/
Gotta hand it to our cops, they’re really on the ball these days. Barely a week goes by without a massive drug haul either from cars, planes or ships.
Unfortunately theirs is a thankless task when judges and magistrates turn these creeps loose or deliver lenient sentences.
This is where the focus should be. Leave the smokers alone and start targeting the real problems of this shire. The ice which is getting more use due to lack of green, and the booze.