By Benjamin Millar
A golden gun and a $480,000 Lamborghini are among $12 million worth of assets that have been seized by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in drug raids across Melbourne’s west.
The AFP has confirmed its investigators have carried out 11 searches across nine suburbs in recent days, charging five men, the culmination of an operation that began in May.
Raids were carried out Yarraville, Footscray, Maidstone, Maribyrnong, St Albans, Delahey, Sunshine North, Truganina and Aberfeldie.
The AFP seized a new silver Lamborghini Huracan sports car and a silver Mercedes Benz, along with firearms, cash and more than $4 million in ice and heroin.
Officers seized 4.175 kilograms of ice and 2.5 kilograms of heroin, more than $200,000 in cash and encrypted phones, also discovering a cannabis grow house.
The ice has an estimated street value of $3.1 million and the heroin is worth $1.25 million.
“It is suspected members of the syndicate own or control approximately $12 million in assets, which are subject to Commonwealth restraining orders made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002,” the AFP said in a statement.
AFP state manager Commander Amanda Kates said the operation sends a clear message to those “seeking to wreak havoc on our community with life-threatening illicit drugs”.
“Not only could you spend your life behind bars, all your belongings including your house, car, and anything else used in the commission of a crime, or bought with the proceeds of crime, can be seized to satisfy Australia’s proceeds of crime and confiscation regime.”
A 33-year-old Maidstone man and a 33-year-old Footscray man have been charged with two counts of trafficking a commercial quantity of a controlled drug.
A 32-year-old Maribyrnong man and a 33-year-old Delahey man were charged with one count of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug.
A 33-year-old Truganina man has been charged with dealing in the proceeds of crime.
Investigations are continuing and additional arrests are expected.
The four men charged with trafficking have been remanded in custody to appear in court on February 4, 2019.
