A major drug bust spread over three state police units has led to 5 arrests, thousands of dollars in cash seized, and has taken a large quantity of cannabis off the streets.
Operation Lea commenced in December 2022, resulting in a total of 53 kilograms of cannabis and $307,195 in cash being seized in the Northern Territory.
52 kilograms of cannabis and nearly $177,000 has been intercepted by the Katherine Criminal Investigation Branch as part of the operation, where they discovered a 64-year-old man and a 32-year-old man in possession of the drugs in a motel last Friday.
The Northern Territory Drug and Organised Crime Squad, Queensland Police, and South Australia Police have joined forces in the operation to focus on a network of drug distributors.
The police units have targeted a 52-year-old man who was allegedly linked to the monthly sale of commercial quantities of cannabis in the NT and QLD.
It’s expected the man will likely be extradited from SA to appear in court at a later date.
Police have also conducted search warrants at the homes of other alleged linked offenders to the monthly supplies of cannabis in the NT and QLD.
The five men involved in these drug incidents have been charged with supply schedule 2 dangerous drug of commercial quantity and possess tainted property.
