Policing blitz targets Lismore and Nimbin

[Frazz]

04.07.2006

By WILL JACKSON

 

DRUG users, dole cheats and visa dodgers were the target of a fourday police, Centrelink and Department of Immigration crackdown in Lismore and Nimbin.

 

Operation Grasstree, which ended on Sunday, was part of an ongoing ‘all of government’ approach to policing in the Richmond Police Local Area Command.

 

Police were armed with drug detection warrants and labrador sniffer dog teams during the operation, which had two stages.

 

Phase one had plainclothes officers patrolling local streets within the command, focusing mainly on Lismore.

 

The second phase saw uniformed officers manning roadblocks on main access roads into Nimbin.

 

Department of Immigration officials joined the roadblocks checking international visitors’ visas.

 

However, none of the more than 70 people checked were found to be staying in the country illegally.

 

Meanwhile, six Centrelink fraud investigation officers from Southport cancelled or suspended 19 customers’ payments after visiting businesses in and around Nimbin, saving the Federal Government an estimated $133,000 a year.

 

The officers targeted people working cash-in-hand in the hospitality and harvesting industries who were not declaring their income to Centrelink correctly.

 

Another 78 people will be the subject of further investigations.

 

During the four days, police conducted 81 searches and 383 random breath tests resulting in 47 drug detections and three drivers being charged for drink-driving.

 

Police also seized a total of 676 grams of cannabis leaf, four grams of cannabis resin, two morphine tablets and 12.4 kilograms of cannabis cake.

 

Twenty-one people will appear in Lismore Local Court on July 17 on drug possession charges.

 

Another 25 people were issued with cannabis cautions.

 

Crime prevention officer Snr Const Michael Hogan said police targeted offenders and areas using information gained through the Dob in a Dealer program, while also conducting more generalised ‘walk throughs’.

 

Richmond Local Area Commander Supt Bruce Lyons said the operation was a success.

 

He said while no commercial quantities of drugs were confiscated the operation would still disrupt drug dealers by hitting their customers.

 

Supt Lyons said police were planning similar operations.

 

Author: WILL JACKSON

Date: 4-7-06

Source: Northern Star

Copyright: APN News & Media Ltd 2006.

[raverspec]

Fuckheads.

[nugget]

He said while no commercial quantities of drugs were confiscated the operation would still disrupt drug dealers by hitting their customers.

 

What the fuck??

 

The growers are too smart to get caught so they have to focus on someone, the next best thing, i guess

 

And from 383 tests, they only came up with 47 detections?? Take that cunts..

 

Dogs

[WantDaChronic]

they should ask why people on the dole feel the need to make more money in areas of work that are not so legal and they should also be targetting the sellers, not the buyers of marijuana

[Budman2012]

I think they should fuck off and do some real work!

Not target innocent individuals for their look. i.e. How often did they test a suit driving a BMW I wonder???

This fucken propaganda is soley for the media , to pacify ignorant morons.

Keep Smokin' people , the PigFux can never stop us from being free and righteous.

Budman ... Still Smokin Out.

[raverspec]

Budman, I reckon there's just as many pot smokers who wear suits and driver beemer's, but they seem to get away with it? I want to be one of that kind of stoner

[Infinitee]

True, raverspec, but we have much better parties. Go Stoners. The persecuted & baked will inherit the earth!!

 

[everest]

Not target innocent individuals for their look. i.e. How often did they test a suit driving a BMW I wonder???

 

ha ... i drive a bmw but i aint got a suit

 

and i'm always stoned

 

ev

[pipeman]

I've always feared being stopped by the cops on the way in or out of Nimbin. I wonder if putting my gear in the centre console under a few CD cases will be enough to fool them

[raverspec]

Definately, the heat will never think to look there.