Paul Bibby
A man appeared in Tweed Heads local court yesterday on charges of commercial drug supply involving half a kilo of cocaine.
The 31-year-old was the latest person to be arrested as part of Strike Force Brechin, which was set up to investigate criminal networks and the supply of prohibited drugs in the Illawarra region.
The arrest took place at Brisbane Airport at around 10.30pm last Friday when the man was intercepted by Federal Police as he disembarked from an international flight.
He was subsequently charged with supplying a prohibited drug (commercial quantity), supplying a prohibited drug (indictable quantity), knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime, and participating in a criminal group contribute criminal activity.
Police alleged in court yesterday that the man supplied nearly 500g of cocaine and 30g of MDMA in the Illawarra region between May and July 2019.
A week earlier, police arrested and charged two other alleged associates of the 31-year-old following a series of searches in the Illawarra region.
These two men, aged 26 and 30, were arrested and charged and are now before the courts.
Police say that investigations under Strike Force Brechin are continuing.
Meanwhile, police have announced they are targeting crime in rural areas with a new campaign.
The campaign, targeting illegal hunting, stock theft, trespassing and firearm theft, will will provide information on how regional communities can deter or prevent crime in their area while encouraging the community to report crime.
In a slogan reminiscent of that used in the US in relation to terrorism, police are asking residents to ‘see something, suspect something, say something’.
