Drug Supply Syndicate The Australian 2006

John Stapleton

A major drug supply syndicate supplying users of the drug Ice in the Queanbeyan area of southern NSW has been broken, police claimed yesterday. Six people were arrested and charged.

Strikeforce Northend was established in May by detectives attached to the Monara Local Area Command to investigate the supply of Ice by an organised criminal syndicate.

Police alleged in court yesterday that members of the group sold quantities of the drug to undercover police.

Police arrested a 35 year old Queanbeyan woman and a 20 year old Ambervale man following a covert operation early on Wednesday afternoon.

Police also executed search warrants on properties at Queanbeyan, Riverwood in Sydney's south-west and Latham in the ACT. A further two men and two women were arrested.

Police allegedly seized cash and drugs, including a quantity of a substance believed to be Ice with an estimated street value of $700,000.

Despite concerns amongst social scientists that anti-drug campaigns often backfire, arousing rather than dampening interest and defining margins towards which people are drawn, Prime Minister John Howard this month announced the launch of a series of graphic television commercials designed to turn young people off methamphetamines, including Ice. He said the hard-hitting commercials were designed to drive home the misery, degradation and loss of physical appearance and mental stability of drug users.

The $32.9 million advertising campaign forms part of a $150 million Federal Government package to combat the ravages of Ice announced in April.

Research by the Australian National Council on Drugs suggests one in ten Australians have used amphetamines such as Ice.