'$1M DRUGS HAUL' AS POLICE RAID FACTORIES

A pharmacist and the alleged sergeant-at-arms of a branch of the
Bandidos motorbike club were among 11 people arrested in police raids
on clandestine drug factories in western Sydney and rural NSW
yesterday.

Police said last night that the raids by 92 officers on 12 premises had
resulted in the seizure of more than $1million worth of amphetamines.
Drug manufacturing equipment, chemicals and four pistols, including two
semi-automatic Glocks, were also seized.

The operation began just before midnight with police raiding a farm at
Rock Forest, 20 kilometres west of Bathurst.

At the Pine Ridge Road property, police allegedly uncovered an
amphetamine manufacturing plant along with 30 litres of
pseudoephedrine. Arrested were George Farah, 31, of Mount Druitt, the
alleged sergeant-at-arms of the western Sydney chapter of the Bandidos
bikie club; Peter Sidirourgos, 27, of St Clair; and Angela Conn, 31, of
Lethbridge Park.

All three were refused bail when they appeared late yesterday in
Bathurst Local Court, the men charged with conspiring to manufacture a
commercial quantity of amphetamine and also manufacturing amphetamines.

Conn, whose home was also raided, was charged with possession of drugs
and firearm offences. They will all reappear before Bathurst court on
August 30.

Following the Bathurst raid, teams of police struck shortly before
dawn yesterday at 10 other premises at Penrith, St Clair, Mount Druitt
and Quakers Hill, arresting seven men.

Police alleged searches of the properties resulted in the seizure of
more than $20,000 in cash, indictable quantities of "speed", large
quantities of precursor pseudoephedrine tablets, and drug manufacturing
equipment including drums of solvent.

At two separate premises one-kilogram bags of amphetamine were seized.

Shortly before 2pm yesterday another team of detectives raided a
chemist shop at St Clair, arresting a pharmacist aged in his 50s who
was last night charged with knowingly being involved in the manufacture
of drugs through the alleged supply of precursor drugs used in the
manufacture of amphetamines.

The man, and seven men arrested in the Sydney raids, are expected to
appear before Penrith Local Court today.

In an unrelated operation, police yesterday seized more than $250,000
in suspected stolen goods during raids on 18 pawnbroker shops and three
second-hand dealers in the Sydney CBD, Kings Cross and eastern suburbs.

During the operation, code-named Condor, police arrested 10 people as
they arrived at pawnbroker shops allegedly in possession of stolen
goods that they intended to hock for cash.