RAIDS SMASH DRUGS TRADE

A SERIES of undercover raids on a sophisticated amphetamine operation has
dented organised crime in Victoria, police said yesterday.

More than 200 police searched 32 premises and arrested more than 20 people
in afternoon and overnight raids throughout Melbourne on Tuesday.

The head of the drug squad, Det. Chief-Insp. John McKoy, said it had been
some years since the squad had conducted as many simultaneous raids. He
described Operation Orbost as large "in anyone's terms".

Several pistols, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, large amounts of
amphetamines and cannabis, stolen property and chemicals used in the
manufacture of amphetamines were seized.

Premises were searched in Reservoir, Safety Beach, West Heidelberg,
Bayswater North, Coburg North, Lower Templestowe, Carrum, Dandenong North,
Thomastown, Chadstone, Caulfield, Pakenham, Northcote, Sunbury, Fairfield,
East Keilor, Yarraville and Bundoora.

Special operations group and drug squad police searched a computer business
in Plenty Rd, Reservoir, and arrested five Melbourne men, two men from NSW
and one man from Queensland.

A large indoor cannabis crop was allegedly discovered in Gowrie St, Glenroy,
and an amphetamine laboratory was found in Mt Evelyn.

Queensland and NSW police were also involved in searches near Nerang and
Wagga Wagga.

Det. Chief-Insp. McKoy said he was most disturbed by the seizure of several
pistols in the wake of Sunday's fatal police shootings.

He said pistols were "made for one purpose - and that is killing" and all
police involved in the raids were heartbroken by the deaths of Sgt Gary Silk
and Sen-Constable Rodney Miller.

"Fortunately, in operations of this type the drug squad has the luxury of
knowing who we are dealing with and consequently we can plan these
operations meticulously and also enjoy the protection of the most highly
trained police in the country, namely the SOG," he said. "Unfortunately, our
members patrolling the streets don't have those luxuries.

"They have to deal with people on an ad hoc basis and are particularly at
risk as we have seen in recent events."

Chief Commissioner Neil Comrie praised police involved in the operation,
which showed the force was "getting on with the job" despite the tragic
deaths of two officers on Sunday morning.

"The entire force has been stunned by the fatal shootings of Sgt Gary Silk
and Sen-Constable Rodney Miller, but our members are continuing to do what
they do best - protecting the Victorian community," he said.

Mr Comrie said the ultimate success of the operation would be decided by the
courts.

Several people appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court yesterday on charges
including conspiring to traffick drugs, trafficking, firearm offences,
possession of stolen property, cultivating marijuana and manufacturing
amphetamines.

Checked-by: Rolf Ernst