Investigators from the Croydon Divisional Tasking Unit have charged seven people after discovering a large quantity of alleged drugs concealed in a car.
Police intercepted the Kia Sportage at a service station on the Melba Highway, Glenburn, just after 9pm yesterday evening (2 October).
The car was searched and a quantity of drugs were located within an internal cavity of the vehicle with an alleged value in excess of $275,000.
A 26-year-old Croydon man, and a 22-year-old Croydon Hills man who were occupants of the vehicle were both arrested.
They were both charged with traffick commercial quantity of drugs and proceeds of crime and will appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court this morning.
Following the discovery police executed several search warrants at addresses Croydon, Croydon Hills, Kilsyth and Mt Evelyn and arrested a further five alleged offenders.
Items seized following the warrants include:
• Over 250 cannabis plants;
• a large amount of cash;
• a firearm;
• knuckle dusters; and
• a variety of other dugs with an alleged value of just over $250,000.
A 26-year -old man from Mt Evelyn was charged with cultivate commercial quantity cannabis and will appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court today.
A 24-year-old man and a 25-year-old man, both from Croydon, were interviewed by police and will be charged on summons with drug possession and weapons offences.
A 24-year-old Croydon woman was charged with trafficking cannabis and handle stolen goods and was bailed to appear at Ringwood Magistrates' Court on 14 February 2020.
A 55-year-old man from Kilsyth was charged with drug possession and firearms offences and bailed to appear at Ringwood Magistrates' Court on 13 February 2020.
Croydon DTU Detective Senior Sergeant Jim Sutherland said this operation culminated with a total street value seizure of over $640,000 worth of illicit party drugs and cannabis.
"As a result, a complex and well organised drug trafficking syndicate has been dismantled, a significant quantity of illicit drugs has been kept off the streets and several principal offenders have been charged."
