$810,000 DRUG BUST

POLICE have broken a drug manufacturing ring and seized drugs worth
$810,000, drug manufacturing equipment and a cache of guns and ammunition.

The seizures were made during raids on three Darwin properties last
week after the Northern Territory Drug Enforcement Section (DES)
arrested a man at midnight on Thursday.

They found 18 grams of amphetamine paste, two MDMA (ecstacy) tablets,
cash and a mobile phone in his car.

DES Superintendent Kris Evans said the man had been the subject of an
continuous police operation.

His arrest led police to a Darwin unit where another search found 102g
of amphetamine paste, 150g of cannabis, two ecstasy tablets, $9000 in
cash and equipment that police say was from a dismantled clandestine
laboratory.

The 23-year-old man was charged with seven offences including
possessing trafficable and commercial quantities of amphetamines and
cannabis.

He appeared in court on Friday and has been remanded until August
13.

Supt Evans said information provided led police to a house in
Nightcliff where a search revealed a loaded pistol with a silencer.

With the assistance of members of the Territory Response Group, police
dug up sections of the backyard to discover PVC piping containing 560g
of amphetamine paste, a home made sawn-off gun and a large amount of
pseudoephedrine tablets and other chemicals used to make illicit drugs.

A 22-year-old man was arrested and will appear in court on Tuesday. A
third search at a Larrakeyah flat resulted in the seizure of 136.8g of
methylamphetamine.

A 27-year-old man was arrested and charged with possessing a
commercial quantity of methylamphetamine and will appear in court on
Tuesday.

Supt Evans said it was the fifth clandestine lab busted this
month.