Police across the country arrested 1600 people, laid more than 2900 charges and seized over $93M of drugs last week as part of a national week of action targeting illicit drug and organised crime activity.
Operation Vitreus is a joint initiative between all Australian state and territory police, Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) and New Zealand Police.
Focused on detecting, disrupting and enforcing illicit drug and organised crime activity, the sole aim of the operation is to reduce the availability of illicit drugs - and the associated life changing harm they present - within the community.
This year's week of action ran from Monday 19 to Friday 23 August, and a total of 528 search warrants were executed throughout Australia and New Zealand.
According to the most recent ACIC wastewater report, in 2023 Australia had the second highest methylamphetamine consumption per capita compared with 29 other countries. Australia also ranked 20th of 32 countries for consumption of cocaine, 15th of 33 countries for consumption of MDMA and third of 20 countries for consumption of cannabis.
In December 2023, there was record high cocaine consumption in capital cities and regional areas and record high methylamphetamine consumption in the capital cities.
Cannabis and methylamphetamine are consumed more than any other illicit drugs in Australia.
The prevalence of illicit substances within society and the impact they have on human behaviour translates into road trauma, family violence, homicides, shootings and other violent offending intrinsically linked to the illicit drug trade.
Illicit drug use also contributes to high levels of community harm through drug driving, drug-fuelled assaults, drug-fuelled family violence and heightened risk-taking.
Key national results include:
• 1611 drug related arrests
• 2962 drug related charges
• Almost 1400kgs of illicit drugs and over 2500 cannabis plants, worth approximately $93M (street value)
• 71 gun seizures
• The seizure of over $2.2M cash
In Victoria alone, the operation - led by the Crime Command Organised Crime Division - saw 268 arrests, 568 drug related charges, 55 search warrants executed and the seizure of 25 firearms and $100,000 cash.
Detectives from Major Drug Squad, the Icarus and VIPER Taskforces, the Joint Organised Crime Taskforce, Clandestine Laboratory Squad and local police also seized varying quantities of what appear to be heroin, methylamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, ketamine, 1,4-Butanediol and cannabis with a total combined street value of over $3,000,000.
State-based highlights:
Victoria: On Wednesday, 21 August, police stopped a man and woman about to board the Spirit of Tasmania at the port in Geelong. A search of their luggage revealed 6kg of what appears to be MDMA hidden amongst items in their suitcase.
A 44-year-old Newport man was charged with trafficking a large commercial quantity of MDMA. He was remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 26 November.
Western Australia: Throughout the week, WA Police Force Serious and Organised Division executed 119 search warrants across metropolitan and regional Western Australia.
Of note more than $1.2 million in cash was seized along with 672 cannabis plants and 10 firearms. Smaller quantities of meth, heroin, cocaine and other drugs were also seized during the week.
More than 484 charges were laid in relation to drug, firearm and money laundering offences
New South Wales: In August 2024, detectives attached to State Crime Command's Organised Crime Squad established Strike Force Mactier following the seizure of over $8 million worth of prohibited drugs from two Homebush Units.
As a result of the investigation, detectives charged a 25-year-old man for his alleged role in the supply of prohibited drugs in Sydney. He remains before the courts.
Following further investigations, detectives arrested a 25-year-old woman and 27-year-old man at Burwood Police Station on Friday 23 August 2024.
The woman was charged with two counts of supply prohibited drug and possess prohibited drug.
The man was charged with supply prohibited drug, take part supply prohibited drug, deal with property proceeds of crime less than $100,000 and participate criminal group contribute criminal activity.
They were both refused bail and appeared before Parramatta Local Court on Saturday 24 August 2024.
South Australia: Demonstrating its commitment to the week of action, South Australia Police (SAPOL) apprehended 182 people for possessing, trafficking and manufacturing/cultivating a variety of controlled drugs. In addition to removing various illicit commodities from the streets, police seized eight firearms, one vehicle and over $99,000 in cash, thwarting the activities of serious and organised crime in South Australia.
One seizure of note included over 1,100 LSD tabs from an address at Glenside on 21 August. After making the discovery, Detectives from SAPOL Serious and Organised Crime Branch charged a 26-year-old man with trafficking a large commercial quantity of controlled drugs.
Australian Federal Police: During the national week of action, the AFP arrested and charged a Canadian national attempting to import approximately 15kg of methamphetamine into Australia via Sydney International Airport.
Methamphetamine remains the most significant illicit drug threat to the Australian community. High consumption is driving a number of individual and societal harms impacting all Australians, such as increased health care costs of $5 billion annually, loss of productivity and further criminal activity.
Quotes attributable to Detective Superintendent Dave Cowan, Victoria Police Organised Crime Division:
"Unfortunately, the results of this week of action are just a snapshot of what police regularly see in terms of the use of illicit drugs in Australia. These arrests and charges are indicative of the work of every police agency in this country every week.
"Over $93M worth of illicit drugs were seized throughout the country last week alone, and whilst it's an incredible result, it aptly highlights the seemingly insatiable demand there is in Australia for illicit substances.
"We are at a pivotal point in this fight against illicit drugs, and ultimately, we must challenge the attitudes around the use of illicit drugs in our community.
"Alongside our partner agencies, we are completely committed to making Victoria as hostile an environment as possible for anyone associated with the trafficking of drugs.
"The success of this week of action should serve as a reminder to anyone in Australia who is involved in illicit drug and organised crime activity: we will find you and we will hold you accountable."
Quotes attributable to South Australia Police Detective Superintendent Shane Addison, Officer in Charge, Serious and Organised Crime Branch:
"SAPOL recognises the serious harm that illicit drugs and associated criminal activity has on South Australia. Law enforcement is committed to reducing this threat to community safety and will relentlessly pursue those who seek to profit from the misery that illicit drugs cause.
"Police will target anyone involved in the illicit drug trade and this includes the confiscation of their criminal assets. The results from the Operation Vitreus Week of Action in this State reflects this commitment."
Quotes attributable to the ACIC Acting Executive Director Covert Collections and Insights Dr Katie Willis:
Dr Katie Willis noted the increasingly diverse range of illicit drug threats to the Australian community. For example, the ACIC is driving a national law enforcement response to the increasing threat of nitazenes, which are synthetic opioids occupying a niche illicit drug market in Australia but are causing tangible harm to the community.
"Nitazenes pose a greater threat to the Australian community than fentanyl. We have seen a rise in overdoses, some of which have been fatal, adulteration of other drugs, and links to serious and organised crime. We are working closely with partners - both on and offshore - to provide mission critical intelligence to contribute to timely and coordinated responses."
AUSTRAC Acting National Manager, Law Enforcement and Industry, Anthony Helmond, said being part of Operation Vitreus is another example of AUSTRAC working collaboratively with our federal and state partners in the fight against organised crime.
"As Australia's Financial Intelligence Unit, we assist law enforcement investigations through the development of targeted financial profiles, identification of suspicious financial activity, and production of actionable intelligence to help combat illicit drug activity in Australia and around the world. AUSTRAC will continue to work with our partners in Operation Vitreus to target the production, supply and distribution of illicit drugs."
Quotes attributable to Australian Border Force Commander Clint Simms:
"Operation Vitreus is another example of how the ABF and its law enforcement partners work together to keep dangerous drugs off Australian streets.
"Our partnerships continue to disrupt criminal syndicates attempting to bring drugs into the country. We're not only detecting drugs at the border - together we are stopping those involved in their importation.
"No matter how criminals attempt to conceal and move their drugs, ABF officers have the skills, technology and the resources to find the substances and track down the people who are attempting to bring them in."
Quotes attributable to AFP Commander Paula Hudson, responsible for coordinating the AFP's effort to disrupt the importation and supply of illicit drugs into Australia by transnational serious and organised crime groups.
"The AFP is proud to continue to work alongside our state, territory and Commonwealth law enforcement partners through National Taskforce Vitreus as part of a coordinated effort to disrupt organised crime and reduce the supply of illicit drugs into Australia.
The AFP prioritises offshore detection and disruption of illicit drug importation ventures and works collaboratively with international law enforcement partners to ensure illicit drugs are stopped at source countries before reaching Australian communities.
The harm caused from drug use can impact, directly and indirectly, on all Australian families and individuals. The impacts range across the spectrum of health, social and economic harm. Every week, on average, 16 Australians die from heroin, amphetamine-type stimulants or cocaine overdose."
ACT Policing Detective Acting Inspector Dale Ohlmus said working with state and territory partners allowed police to share information about local drug trafficking networks.
"This information has allowed us to seize more than half a million dollars in cash and more than $3 million worth of cannabis and other drugs.
"ACT Policing is proud to contribute to the national fight against organised crime and the illicit drug trade in Australia through coordinated operations such as this."
Detective Superintendent Peter Faux, Commander of NSW Police Force's Organised Crime Squad and national chair of Operation Vitreus, has praised the combined efforts of all agencies involved in this year's operation.
"The national week of action, involving representatives from all law enforcement and intelligence agencies across Australia and New Zealand, has resulted in the significant seizures of prohibited drugs both at the border and within our communities.
"Collaboration between all agencies is vital to the success of this operation and we will continue to work together to prevent these harmful drugs from entering our communities," Det Supt Faux said.
"The week of action has seen over 1600 people arrested and put before the courts around the country for drug related offences. The message is: if you use prohibited drugs, supply prohibited drugs or import prohibited drugs, these arrests are warning to you that there is a high likelihood that you will come to the attention of law enforcement."
Quotes attributable to Western Australia Police A/Superintendent Jeff BEROS - Serious and Organised Crime Division.
"During one week the WA Police Force seized more than 672 cannabis plants, and other smaller quantities of drugs, along with 10 firearms that have the potential to cause serious harm in our community.
"Cannabis has one of the highest consumption rates in the country and the supply and distribution of this drug fuels organised crime and associated criminal activity.
"We are seeing an increase in sophisticated hydroponic setups in Western Australia, which are often unoccupied non-descript homes that utilise power bypassing techniques.
"I am pleased with WA Police's response it was an entire state effort during the week of action and we remain committed to stopping the supply and distribution of illicit drugs and associated organised crime in our community."
Anyone with information on illicit drug activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
