The Minister for Police reports on a major cocaine seizure in WA's north-west, highlighting the WA Police's assistance to a joint AFP and Customs operation and the government's commitment to targeting drug dealers.

AnsweredQoN 190Legislative Assembly
Asked
31 July 2001
Member
Portfolio
Police

QuestionView source ↗

POLICE, COMBATING DRUG IMPORTATION
Will the minister inform the House of recent police efforts to combat drug importation into Western Australia? Mrs ROBERTS

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for the question. Like all Western Australians, I am extremely concerned about the impact of drugs on our community. Although I am confident that the Drug Summit will come up with a breadth of policy options, police enforcement activities focused on drug dealers will always be a critical component of the fight against drugs. This Government recognises that to help address the drug problem and to reduce the proliferation of drugs in our community, police resources must be targeted at where they are most required - the drug dealers. I am pleased to report to the House the seizure of what could be more than one tonne of cocaine in this State’s north west. The Western Australia Police Service provided assistance to a joint Australian Federal Police and Australian Customs Service operation. Drugs were observed being ferried ashore and buried on a secluded beach at Dulverton Bay, about 50 kilometres south west of the township of Denham, almost 700 kilometres north of Perth. It is possible that this could be the biggest haul of cocaine ever seized in Australia. After the arrests, which were carried out with the assistance of the tactical response group, officers from the Shark Bay Police Station assisted in the search of the area, utilising their local knowledge and capabilities specific to regional and remote policing. Our tactical response group and major incident group were deployed in a security escort of the cocaine from the landing site to the Australian Federal Police headquarters in Perth. This is a significant step forward in the battle against drugs, and I congratulate our local officers for the assistance they gave to the AFP and to customs. Without their specific skills, I doubt the operation would have been as successful.
Mrs ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for the question. Like all Western Australians, I am extremely concerned about the impact of drugs on our community. Although I am confident that the Drug Summit will come up with a breadth of policy options, police enforcement activities focused on drug dealers will always be a critical component of the fight against drugs. This Government recognises that to help address the drug problem and to reduce the proliferation of drugs in our community, police resources must be targeted at where they are most required - the drug dealers. I am pleased to report to the House the seizure of what could be more than one tonne of cocaine in this State’s north west. The Western Australia Police Service provided assistance to a joint Australian Federal Police and Australian Customs Service operation. Drugs were observed being ferried ashore and buried on a secluded beach at Dulverton Bay, about 50 kilometres south west of the township of Denham, almost 700 kilometres north of Perth. It is possible that this could be the biggest haul of cocaine ever seized in Australia. After the arrests, which were carried out with the assistance of the tactical response group, officers from the Shark Bay Police Station assisted in the search of the area, utilising their local knowledge and capabilities specific to regional and remote policing. Our tactical response group and major incident group were deployed in a security escort of the cocaine from the landing site to the Australian Federal Police headquarters in Perth. This is a significant step forward in the battle against drugs, and I congratulate our local officers for the assistance they gave to the AFP and to customs. Without their specific skills, I doubt the operation would have been as successful.
I thank the member for the question. Like all Western Australians, I am extremely concerned about the impact of drugs on our community. Although I am confident that the Drug Summit will come up with a breadth of policy options, police enforcement activities focused on drug dealers will always be a critical component of the fight against drugs. This Government recognises that to help address the drug problem and to reduce the proliferation of drugs in our community, police resources must be targeted at where they are most required - the drug dealers. I am pleased to report to the House the seizure of what could be more than one tonne of cocaine in this State’s north west. The Western Australia Police Service provided assistance to a joint Australian Federal Police and Australian Customs Service operation. Drugs were observed being ferried ashore and buried on a secluded beach at Dulverton Bay, about 50 kilometres south west of the township of Denham, almost 700 kilometres north of Perth. It is possible that this could be the biggest haul of cocaine ever seized in Australia. After the arrests, which were carried out with the assistance of the tactical response group, officers from the Shark Bay Police Station assisted in the search of the area, utilising their local knowledge and capabilities specific to regional and remote policing. Our tactical response group and major incident group were deployed in a security escort of the cocaine from the landing site to the Australian Federal Police headquarters in Perth. This is a significant step forward in the battle against drugs, and I congratulate our local officers for the assistance they gave to the AFP and to customs. Without their specific skills, I doubt the operation would have been as successful.

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