Drug Bust in Kingaroy

Police raided homes and properties in the South Burnett and across Australia as part of a national operation. They seized drugs with a street value of more than $475m and thousands of plants from hydroponic equipment.

AFP officers arrested a dual Spanish-Colombian national, 48, at a Durong property they will allege was used to extract and manufacture cocaine. He and Alexander Villegis Jaramillo, 38, appeared in Kingaroy Magistrates Court on Friday.

Drugs

A 48-year-old Spanish-Colombian dual citizen and a 38-year-old Australian are due to appear in Kingaroy Magistrates Court after being arrested during a drug operation last week. They were among nine people arrested across Queensland, NSW and the Northern Territory. They are accused of supplying chemicals to be used in an extraction shed at a property in Durong to produce hundreds of kilograms of cocaine.

The men were charged by Murgon and Kingaroy detectives after search warrants were executed at properties in Murgon, Cherbourg, Nanango, Blackbutt, Yarraman and Mondure. A quantity of amphetamine, cannabis and drug paraphernalia was found at the properties. Also seized were firearms, ammunition and weapons.

Police say the action taken shows the commitment to combat illicit drugs in the South Burnett. A 41-year-old Nanango man has been charged with 29 offences in connection with the bust, including two counts of trafficking dangerous drugs and 16 charges of possessing methylamphetamine above schedule limits. He will appear in the Kingaroy Magistrates Court on December 14.

Weapons

Police have seized a number of weapons during the South Burnett Drug Task Force’s operation to target people involved in the production and supply of illicit drugs. The operation, dubbed Operation Meridan, has resulted in nine people being charged across Queensland and NSW. Two men – 48-year-old dual Spanish-Colombian citizens Fabio Alberto Fernandez Pulgarin and 38-year-old Alexander Villegis Jaramillo – were arrested at a rural property in Durong overnight where a purpose-built cocaine extraction shed was allegedly located. Both will appear in Kingaroy Magistrates Court on Friday.

A Blackbutt man was also arrested after a search of his property found 234 cannabis plants and weapons. He’s due to front Nanango Magistrates Court next month. Weapons include, but are not limited to, air rifles, BB guns, pistols, revolvers, shotguns, antique fire-arms, swords, daggers, switchblade knives, box cutters and leaded cane weapons.

Money

Queensland police have seized almost $40 million worth of cannabis in a raid in the state’s south west. Officers from Murgon and Kingaroy Criminal Investigation Branch executed a search warrant at a rural property at Boondooma. They allegedly found 15680 marijuana plants, 50kg of dried cannabis, generators and hydroponic equipment. The man, who is alleged to have run the large-scale cultivation operation, was arrested and charged with 29 offences. He will appear in Kingaroy Magistrates Court on December 14. A 41-year-old Nanango man was also arrested during Operation Victor Duty and charged with methylamphetamine trafficking, supply of dangerous drugs, possession of drug utensils and possessing property obtained from trafficking.

Property

Police have busted a multimillion-dollar cannabis operation at a rural property north of Kingaroy. The raid resulted in the seizure of 15680 cannabis plants and 50kg of dried cannabis, generators and hydroponic equipment. Police also seized a quantity of weapons, ammunition and drug paraphernalia at the Mondure property.

The arrests were made as part of a national investigation into the supply and manufacture of cocaine known as Operation Meridan. A Brisbane man, 31, allegedly organised the construction of an extraction facility at Durong and used suspected criminal proceeds to pay for items the syndicate required to make it operational.

A 48-year-old Mondure man faces six charges including supplying drugs and possession of property obtained from drug trafficking. He will appear at Murgon Magistrates Court next month.