Four men are facing more than 650 separate criminal charges following a major Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) covert organised crime investigation known as Operation Altana.
Operation Altana targeted a high-threat organised crime syndicate involved in the production, supply and trafficking of crystal methamphetmaine (ice) and cocaine on the Gold Coast. It will be alleged one of the men charged also engaged in sourcing illegal steroids from Thailand.
The CCC will allege the men were major players in a distribution network that had links to the Hells Angels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMCG) on the Gold Coast.
Today, the CCC charged a 41-year-old Main Beach mortgage broker with 244 charges, a 55 year-old property developer from Surfers Paradise with 296 charges and a 46-year-old security systems expert from Main Beach with 26 charges. All three have been charged with trafficking and supplying ice and cocaine. The 41-year-old man was also charged with producing ice. The men were bailed and are expected to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court on 3 March 2017.
A 55-year-old Gold Coast man was charged by the CCC in January, as part of Operation Altana, with 91 offences including trafficking ice and cocaine and 74 counts of supplying drugs.
The CCC will allege an ice production site was identified at Tedder Avenue, Main Beach where ice was cut, recrystallised, and then packaged for distribution. It will be further alleged the cumulative quantities of ice and high purity cocaine trafficked by the syndicate involved multiple kilograms of drugs. The ice component is estimated to have a wholesale value of approximately $250,000 but had a significantly larger street value after being cut, repackaged and sold.
A range of weapons were seized during Operation Altana including a pump action shotgun, rifle, butterfly knife and a taser.
Since 2013, CCC intelligence has confirmed organised crime is entrenched in the distribution of ice in Queensland and the market is growing, especially in regional areas.
Accordingly, the CCC has focused its operations on criminal syndicates producing and trafficking ice within Queensland.
Operation Altana is linked with two previous CCC operations, Gloss and Amulet, which also targeted ice.
In 2013, the CCC began a series of covert investigations, supported by coercive hearings, which identified syndicates that had multiple, but overlapping, lines of drug supply into Queensland from New South Wales. These syndicates became the targets of operations Gloss, Amulet and Altana.
During the previous two operations (Gloss and Amulet), 26 people were charged with 280 separate offences, three clandestine ice laboratories ( 2x QLD, 1 x NSW) were identified and dismantled, a sub-machine gun, ammunition and hand guns were seized, over $4 million in drugs were seized and $2 million in assets were restrained under proceeds of crime legislation including $1.1 million in cash. These matters are currently progressing through the courts.
OMCG members and associates were also charged during the operations Gloss and Amulet for their alleged involvement in the production, supply and trafficking of ice. This includes the national president of the Lone Wolf OMCG and patched members of the Gold Coast Hells Angels, Gold Coast Black Uhlans and Rebels in Cowra (NSW).
The CCC was assisted in Operation Gloss, Amulet and Altana by the Queensland Police Service, NSW Police, Victoria Police and Australian Border Force.
The CCC’s Executive Director Crime Kathleen Florian said the major milestone in Operation Altana is the culmination of a three-year focus on disrupting high-threat crime syndicates dealing in ice and the operation remains ongoing.
“The CCC has focused its investigations on ice because of organised crime involvement and the widespread harm it causes the Queensland community,” Ms Florian said.
“The investigative strategies used by the CCC demonstrates our commitment to working with law enforcement partners in other states, identifying criminal syndicates that are trafficking ice into Queensland and dismantling their supply routes.”
The CCC will continue to use coercive hearings, intelligence, proceeds of crime legislation and operational expertise and liaison with interstate law enforcement partners to further disrupt and dismantle criminal syndicates engaged in the trafficking and production of ice.
The CCC’s Executive Director Crime, Kathleen Florian, will speak to the media today, Saturday, February 18 2017 at 1.15pm.
Please contact CCC Media on media@ccc.qld.gov.au ( mailto:media@ccc.qld.gov.au ) or 07 3360 6000 for more information.
ENDS
Press conference details:
Where: CCC HQ – Level 2, 515 St Pauls Terrace Fortitude Valley
When: 1.15pm - 18/2/17 - Media are asked to arrive at 1pm to allow sufficient time for sign-in procedures.
Who: Kathleen Florian, CCC Executive Director Crime.
