Five people been charged and more than 26kg of drugs have been seized following an investigation into large-scale drug supply during Operation Waratah II.
Operation Waratah II was established by officers attached to the Police Transport Command (PTC) to proactively target alleged known offenders who use the public transport network.
About 6am on Monday 2 December 2024, officers executed a Firearms Prohibition Order (FPO) at a home in Jacobs Street, Bankstown.
During the execution of the FPO, items consistent with the supply of gamma butyrolactone (GBL) were allegedly located.
The items were seized for forensic examination and a 32-year-old woman and a 41-year-old man were arrested at the scene. They were taken to Bankstown Police Station.
The woman was charged with 11 offences including,
- Take part supply prohibited drug more than or equal to commercial quantity (two counts),
- Possess/attempt to, prescribed restricted substance (two counts),
- Goods in personal custody suspected being stolen (two counts),
- Hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty (two counts),
- Take part supply prohibited drug more than indictable and less than commercial quantity,
- Possess prohibited drug, and
- Owner/occupier knowingly allow use drug premises.
She was refused bail and appeared before Bankstown Local Court on Tuesday 3 December 2024, where she was refused bail to appear before Burwood Local Court on Wednesday 29 January 2025.
The 41-year-old man was charged with two counts of possess prohibited drugs, goods in personal custody suspected being stolen, and custody of knife in public place.
He faced Bankstown Local Court on 3 December 2024, where the matters were finalised.
Following further inquiries, about 7.45am on Tuesday 14 January 2025, police arrested a 24-year-old woman on Castlereagh Road, Cranebrook.
She was taken to Penrith Police Station where she was charged with eight offences,
- Take part supply prohibited drug more than or equal to large commercial quantity
- Take part supply prohibited drug more than indictable and less than commercial quantity (two counts)
- Possess prohibited drug (three counts)
- Custody of knife in public place, and
- Participate criminal group contribute criminal activity
She was bail refused to appear before Penrith Local Court on Wednesday 15 January 2025, where she was bail refused to appear before Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday 29 January 2025.
Following further inquiries, on Friday 17 January 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at a property in Meredith Street, Bankstown, where approximately 26kg of a substance – alleged to be GBL – was located and seized.
Police also located and seized small amounts of other substances, alleged to be cannabis, methylamphetamine, MDMA, more than $8000, electronic items and other items consistent with drug supply.
A search warrant was also executed at a postal collection facility in Chullora, where a consignment was seized for forensic examination. The consignment is alleged to have contained 700 films of Kamagra Sildenafil.
A 45-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman were arrested at the Bankstown address and were taken to Bankstown Police Station, where the man was charged with 25 offences including,
- Possess prohibited drug (five counts),
- Fail to comply digital evidence access order direction (four counts),
- Possess/attempt to, prescribed restricted substance (four counts),
- Supply prohibited drug more than indictable and less than commercial quantity (two counts),
- Take part supply prohibited drug more than or equal to large commercial quantity,
- Import non-complying therapeutic goods without consent,
- Supply prohibited drug more than or equal to large commercial quantity,
- Recklessly deal with proceeds of crime,
- Supply prohibited drug more than small and less than indictable quantity,
- Possess identity info to commit etc indictable offence,
- Goods suspected stolen in/on premises,
- Make/possess etc equipment etc to make false documents,
- Owner/occupier knowingly allow use as drug premises, and
- Owner/occupier knowingly expose child to drugs etc.
He was refused bail and appeared before Parramatta Local Court on Sunday 19 January 2025. He is bail refused to appear before Burwood Local Court on Wednesday 12 March 2025.
The woman was charged with owner/occupier knowingly expose child to drugs etc, owner/occupier knowingly allow use as drug premises, and fail to comply digital evidence access order direction.
She was granted conditional bail to appear before Bankstown Local Court yesterday (Thursday 23 January 2025), where bail was continued for her to appear before the same court on Thursday 20 March 2025.
