Police helicopters hovering over Simpsons Creek near Ocean Shores around 11.30am on Wednesday were not a search and rescue, they were searching for drugs, namely cannabis.
Local police were not involved in Strike Force Hyperion which was an operation coordinated by State Crime Command’s Drug & Firearms Squad targeting outdoor and greenhouse cannabis cultivation across NSW according to a spokesperson from NSW Police.
‘During the operation between Monday 9 December 2024 and Thursday 12 December 2024, strike force detectives conducted aerial searches across 50 suburbs in the Tweed Byron Police District,’ the spokesperson told The Echo.
‘Police seized a total of 1,094 cannabis plants across 27 individual sites in the area. The drugs seized have a street value of approximately $2,735,000.’
Investigations are continuing and helicopters were sighted again today at Sharoes Beach in Ballina Shire around 9.15am.
Waste of money
The question around how much the police spend on these operations is one they have historically been unable to answer and many in the community have questioned the use of important police resources on finding a plant that is currently legal to grow for personal use in many states and territories in Australia.
‘First, the $2500 per plant stated by police to be the “street value” is simply self justifying twaddle. That is a fully matured female plant, dried and cut into deals and sold. It does not take into account seedlings seized, male plants, or those that were being grown for personal use,’ explained former magistrate David Heilpern.
‘Second, I note that police have been active at public meetings telling people that the best way to cope with the spate of break-and-enter-offences in the area is to lock up, install lighting, and hide your keys. Perhaps they could also survey the victims of these offences as to whether they would rather precious police resources by specialised commands ought be used investigating actual crime, high profile patrols in key areas, and forensic intelligence gathering, rather than flying helicopters over greenery.
‘Third, the police need to realise that cannabis is now available by prescription, and can be grown by licence for industrial and medicinal use. Possession is able to be dealt with by diversion. Times have changed, and the days of harassing hippies to stop them financing their rego by a fully paid aerial holiday with travel allowance to Byron Bay in early summer should have been long gone.
‘The community is shaking its head and thinking “what a complete and utter waste of money and resources”,’ he said.
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