Four men, alleged to be members of an Australian organised crime syndicate suspected of manufacturing and distributing methamphetamine, have been arrested and charged following the discovery of a clandestine laboratory north-west of Sydney.
The AFP arrested three of the men at a Kenthurst property on Friday (19 July, 2024), and another man at a Minto address on Saturday (20 July 2024) as part of Operation Doback.
Police executed a search warrant at the Kenthurst property, believed to be linked to an organised crime syndicate, where a clandestine laboratory allegedly involved in the production of methamphetamine was discovered.
New South Wales Police Force Chemical Operations and Fire and Rescue NSW HazMat dismantled the laboratory before the AFP seized a hunting rifle, a sawn-off shotgun, ammunition, $10,000 in cash and other evidential material from the location.
A Gregory Hills man, 43, has been charged with one count of possessing equipment for the commercial manufacture of controlled drugs, contrary to section 308.4 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth). The offence carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment.
A Milsons Point man, 49, and a Gledswood Hills man, 44, both received court attendance notices for Conspiracy to Manufacture Controlled Drug, by virtue of section 11.5 and section 305.5 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
An Oran Park man, 51, has been charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of controlled drugs, contrary to section 302.2 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth). The offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The Gregory Hills man faced the Parramatta Local Court on Saturday, 20 July, 2024, where he was remanded in custody to appear before Hornsby Local Court today (25 July, 2024).
The Gledswood Hills man is expected to appear before Hornsby Local Court today (25 July, 2024).
The Milsons Point man faced Hornsby Local Court yesterday (24 July 2024) and is scheduled to reappear at Downing Centre Local Court on 18 September 2024.
The Oran Park man appeared in court on Monday (22 July, 2024) and was remanded in custody until his next appearance on 17 September, 2024.
Investigators conducted search warrants at homes and units in Gregory Hills, Milson Point, and Gledswood Hills, as well as a commercial property in Minto.
It will be alleged 5-6kg of a substance which returned a positive result for methamphetamine was located at the Minto property, while more illicit drugs were found in a safe at the Milsons Point unit.
Investigations into the organised crime syndicate remain ongoing.
AFP Detective Superintendent Kristie Cressy said Australian law enforcement was united in the fight against organised crime.
"Through our combined commitment to combatting organised crime, the AFP has stopped a production line of methamphetamine from hitting Australian streets and prevented millions of dollars of drug profit flowing back into the syndicate to fund their next criminal venture," AFP Detective Superintendent Cressy said.
"Criminal syndicates involved in drug manufacturing do not care about the harm they cause to Australian communities - they put our community at risk of violence for their own greed.
"The AFP is working tirelessly to make Australia a hostile environment to these criminal syndicates, to protect the Australian community."
