SW drug raids 'rattle cages'

Police targeted known drug dealers in concentrated raids across the South West last week which revealed a cache of more than $50,000 in property and drugs.

Det-Sen. Sgt Jon Munday said police ‘‘rattled the cages’’ of the South West drug trade by searching more than 20 houses from Bunbury to Margaret River.

Some 26 people were charged with more than 40 charges relating to drugs and stolen property.

Det-Sen. Sgt Jon Munday said with the help of a drug detector dog from Perth, police found 64 mature cannabis plants, 4.2kg of cannabis head, 22 smoking implements, 8g of amphetamine and 6g of synthetic cannabis.

Seven charges of possessing a drug with intent to sell or supply were laid.

Two firearms were also uncovered in the searches, with police seizing part of a shotgun and a sawn-off .22 calibre rifle.

Police in addition uncovered a large amount of property, allegedly stolen, in the raids.

‘‘We believe that a majority of offenders of property-related crime, like stealing, commit crimes to finance their drug habits,’’ Det- Sen. Sgt Munday said.

Det-Sen. Sgt Munday said he was very happy with the results of the four days of raids.

‘‘This week we knocked on a lot of doors, got a lot of people talking, upset a lot of people and it was quite apparent from talking to some of the people involved in the drug trade around Bunbury that people were on edge this week,’’ he said.

‘‘They were a bit upset about the way things were getting done because we were rolling from door to door and rattling cages.

‘‘It was good to keep them on their toes and to put them on notice that if they do deal in drugs and take stolen property we will eventually come knocking on their doors.’’

Police completed 12 searches around Bunbury and Australind.