NSW Police, with assistance from the Raptor Squad, executed a search warrant at a home in Glenfield, southwest Sydney, about 9am on Tuesday, allegedly uncovering a haul of drugs and weapons including assault rifles and grenades.
Weapons and drugs seized
Officers allegedly located and seized six grenades, three semi-automatic assault rifles, four shotguns, a pistol, firearm parts and more than 1000 rounds of ammunition. Drugs including 6kg of cocaine, 1kg each of methylamphetamine and ketamine, 1.1kg of heroin, 15kg of cannabis and 106g of MDMA were also allegedly found, alongside electronic devices and about $9000 in cash. Police allege the drugs would have an estimated street value of up to $3 million.
Arrests and charges
A man and a woman, both aged 26, were arrested and taken to Campbelltown Police Station. The man was charged with 27 weapons, drugs and organised crime offences. He was refused bail and is expected to appear before Campbelltown Local Court on Wednesday. The woman was charged with a single count of organise, conduct, or assist in a drug premises and was granted conditional bail. She will appear before the same court on August 27.
Police and minister respond
Police and Counter-terrorism Minister Yasmin Caitles said it is “awful to think what could have happened if police hadn’t intervened when they did”. “We do not want to see these weapons in our communities and thanks to the hard work of police, they are now out of the hands of (alleged) criminals,” she said. “To anyone thinking of taking part in this alleged vicious criminality, our message is be prepared to spend a long time in a small cell.”
The raids are the latest conducted under Taskforce Falcon, which targets organised crime networks in Sydney. Assistant Police Commissioner Scott Cook said the “seizure of grenades, multiple firearms and a significant quantity of illicit drugs demonstrate exactly why Taskforce Falcon was established”.
