Coast holiday-makers were raided by 10 heavily armed police who found

[lookinggoodguys]

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/coast-holidaymakers-were-raided-by-police-who-found-their-rented-home-was-a-drug-lab/news-story/bebaed0aeaca1b93a72b26b704d89179

Over the top Raid: Just found 8 plants growing.

DIETER Winkler was readying sausages for a barbecue when 10 armed police smashed through the front door of the Gold Coast home where he and his family were having a Christmas holiday.

The Sydney family of seven, who had rented the three bedroom house in Burleigh Heads through Airbnb from Boxing Day, were not even 24 hours into their stay when armed Burleigh Criminal Investigation Branch officers, wearing bulletproof vests, kicked the door down.

Mr Winkler, 48, his partner Jacquie Young, 46, and their five children, ranging in ages from nine to 18, were ordered to sit in the lounge room where they were kept for five hours while police questioned them over a sophisticated drug setup found in one of the bedrooms.

 

After ransacking their possessions, police had kicked open the locked door to the bedroom that the woman owner had told the Winklers was “off-limits” because of an electricity fault.

Inside the room was an extensive hydroponic cannabis setup, later described as a “fire waiting to happen” because of the illegal electrical wiring, with eight cannabis plants right next door to the bedroom where the children had been sleeping.

Mr Winkler said he had wondered about the ‘off-limits’ room which had lights burning day and night.

 

The Randwick-based project manager spent $1800 for the family to stay in the Burleigh home for 11 nights.

Mr Winkler described the experience as “horrifying”, saying police had “bull raided” the home and questioned them for five hours before ordering them to leave.

“The cops piled in on a mission,” Mr Winkler said.

“They didn’t know who we were so it was quite mortifying.

“They didn’t know we were innocent, so it wasn’t a friendly reception.

“We’d just been getting ready for a barbecue.

“My 72-year-old mother was at the home at the time and my little five-year-old niece rocked up mid-raid.

 

It was the first time the whole family got together in two years. We all thought we were dreaming.”

Police described the situation as “nasty”, saying holiday-makers needed to be wary of what they could get themselves into with these sorts of websites.

“People need to understand that you don’t know who the homeowner is, or if you’re renting a room who you could be staying with,” Detective Senior Sergeant Simon Garrett said.

Because it was a peak period, the family could only find alternative accommodation in Biggera Waters, which left them another $2600 out of pocket and an hour away from their family.

“We were so far away from them for the rest of our stay and to be honest had the worst holiday,” Mr Winkler said.

“It’s put us off ever using Airbnb again.”

Airbnb refunded the $1800 and have offered to reimburse the $2600.

“The activity is illegal and absolutely does not reflect the views of Airbnb,” an Airbnb spokesman said.

“We have taken the house off our website and have fully refunded the family.”

Real Estate Institute of Queensland CEO Antonia Mercorella it people should always book accommodation through reputable agents.

“There is always a risk when booking things like accommodation when it’s sight unseen and done through a new website business,” Ms Mercorella said.

“It’s often safest to book holiday accommodation through reputable agents, whether that’s a travel agent or an REIQ accredited agent, because that offers certainty and security.”

A 40-year-old woman has been charged with unlawfully producing a dangerous drug and is to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on February 28.

Edited January 8, 2016 by lookinggoodguys

[RickShawRyder]

Man that would be fucked up to go through. (for the holidaying family)

[Sir PsychoHashy]

What sort of halfwit rents their house out to strangers with a grow going in one of the rooms?  She was pretty much begging for what she got, how many rules of grow club did she break?

 

And that is a seriously fucked up thing for that family to have to go through, sorta hope they sue the owner for stress and stuff.

 

But the coppers have to take a bit of a slapping over this as well, all that hype and aggression over an 8 plant grow?????????????  Idiots must watch too many US cop shows. 

[TAdams]

Man that really is stupid but  more importantly very worrying that police will do these armed raids just over a bunch of home plants and who knows if it was for medical use even though stupid. Should we worry if we want to grow a handful of plants for medical at home that armed forces could turn up anytime and treat you like a terrorist for a couple of herb plants for personal use?. I thought the MP's have negotiated relaxing of personal medical use but it looks to be getting much worse like we are now treated on par with ISIS terrorist planners.

Edited February 1, 2016 by TAdams

[Loco]

Wow!!! Wtf?!?!?!

 

Meanwhile about 5 months ago we had a family (2 adults & 2 children under 6 years) cooking meth in one of the top floor units in my complex. On site managers went to the police and the urgency they showed was awesome! NOT! Those tossers took 6 weeks to do anything about it... by the time 4 tossers showed up in vests the family had already abandoned the premises. Useless! Really makes you scratch your head and wonder as to what the hell they're doing.

 

Dangerous cannabis operation = 10 officers kicking the door down.

Safe meth lab operation (with children in danger) = 4 officers getting key access from on site managers and taking their sweet time.

 

Gees!

 

 

Loco