Three men have been arrested while guns, drugs, cash, luxury watches and a Lamborghini allegedly seized in multiple raids targeting an alleged drug syndicate.
Officers from State Crime Command’s Organised Crime Squad and the NSW Crime Commission targeted an alleged high-profile drug syndicate in August last year.
The joint investigation, known as Strike Force Lavington, closed in on the alleged syndicate which was running out of Harrington Park, in Sydney’s Macarthur Region, about 70km west of the CBD.
Strike force officers raided four properties in Harrington Park, Ingleburn, Abbotsbury and Bondi on Tuesday allegedly seizing more than $4 million in assets, weapons and drugs.
During the raids, police allegedly seized about 1.3kg of methylamphetamine – which has a street value of $1million.
A $300,000 Lamborghini and a special edition VK Commodore Brock racing car worth $500,000 was also seized.
Detectives, with the assistance of NSWCC, were also able to freeze $3.2million dollars’ worth of property.
Commander of State Crime Command’s Organised Crime Squad Detective Superintendent Peter Faux said targeting assets enabled police to ‘disrupt’ alleged illegal activity.
‘Targeting and seizing assets is such an important part of our work because it enables us to completely disrupt the activity of alleged criminals and put the onus back on them to prove their goods have been legally obtained,’ he said.
Executive Director Operations of the NSW Crime Commission Darren Bennett said detectives were determined to strip alleged criminals of their wealth.
‘The raids today are only the start of the hard work, and a civil process will now commence, aimed at stripping alleged criminals of their wealth that we can establish has been illegally obtained,’ he said.
Mr Bennett added police had numerous ongoing investigations aimed at taking unexplained wealth from alleged criminals.
He added the public should expect to see more operations, such as the raids, in coming months.
It comes after strike force detectives stopped a vehicle on the M1 at Brooklyn in August last year and allegedly found 70grams of cocaine after searching the car.
The 66-year-old male driver was arrested and charged with drug supply related offences. He was refused bail and appeared in Hornsby Local Court on August 28.
In September last year, officers stopped a vehicle near Harrington Park and allegedly found 14grams of cocaine after searching the car.
The male driver, 49, was also arrested and charged with drug supply related offences and was granted conditional bail. He faced Campbelltown Local Court on October 19.
A search warrant was then executed at an address in Harrington Park the next day, where a 47-year-old man was arrested.
Police allegedly seized 100grams of cocaine, 60grams of methylamphetamine, luxury watches worth more than $400,000, a Dodge Ram and $7,200 worth of cash.
The man was taken to Narellan Police Station and was charged with four counts of supplying prohibited drugs, recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime and failing to comlpy with digital evidence access order direction.
He was refused bail and faced Picton Local Court on September 27.
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