1. The
GREATER HAMILTON
44 PAGES SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015 $1.70 inc GST
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– Page 44
A BLEAK DAY IN HAMILTON
HEAVY DOWNPOUR: Hamilton’s Betty Lindner rushes across the road in the pouring rain on Thursday. According to the Australian
Bureau of Meteorology, Hamilton received 22mm of rain and at 12pm on Thursday the temperature in Hamilton was 5.4 degrees Celsius
but felt like minus 0.1 degrees. Photo: JUDY DE MAN. 150604jd072
DRUG SEIZURE
RICK KOENIG
NEARLY $60,000 worth of crystal
methamphetamine has been seized from a
Hamilton address in what police described as
the largest ever seizure of ice in the Hamilton
area.
Sergeant Sean Elliott, of the Southern Grampians
Divisional Response Unit, said a warrant was
executed by the unit on May 15 with assistance from the Hamilton
Crime Investigation Unit.
“We seized approximately 56 grams of crystal methamphetamine,
approximately 33 ecstasy tablets, half a dozen bags of speed and a
few hundred dollars in cash,” he said.
“A Hamilton male in their mid 20s was charged and bailed to
appear at the Hamilton Magistrates Court on June 24 for trafficking
and possession.”
Sgt Elliott said the bust was “probably the largest ever seizure
of crystal methampethine” in Hamilton, with a street value of
approximately $60,000.
The bust represents a new development for drug enforcement in
the region as a physically small amount of ice can be worth as much
as an entire shed full of cannabis plants.
Sgt Elliott said the seizure came after a successful stint for the unit,
which had executed 41 warrants in Hamilton and Portland over the
past eight months and charged over 60 people.
“We got a male for trafficking heroin who got six months, we
had someone trafficking crystal methamphetamine who got three
months and there was the one in Digby who received 12 months for
possessing 500 cannabis plants,” he said.
We’ve found firearms, crystal meth, heroin, cocaine and we’ve had
a few jail sentences as a result of that.
“We’re certainly making an impact and we have several people
still on remand.”
Sgt Elliott said while he hoped last month’s seizure would put a
dent in the supply of drugs to Hamilton, “it is an ongoing and large
problem that we have to deal with.”
“I think we are making some good in-ground but there’s certainly
a long way to go and a big part of that will be assistance from the
community to provide intelligence,” he said.
“The recent Dob in a Dealer campaign has shown a big increase
in information reports and ultimately most of those reports end up
on my desk.
“We can always use more information, especially specific
information, any information is great but the more specific and the
more willing people are to speak to us, the better.”
The Spectator reported last week that the Dob in a Dealer campaign
had resulted in a 500 per cent increase in reports made to Crime
Stoppers in the Hamilton and Portland area.
Any person who has information relating to drugs can contact
Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.
Largest ever ice bust in Hamilton area
– man bailed
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