Drug house squad shut down

[boulder]

Drug house squad shut down

By EDITH BEVIN

December 17, 2002

 

A police operation set up to target drug houses has been abandoned, the

Northern Territory News learned last night.

 

Assistant Commissioner John Daulby said Operation Firefox had been shut down.

 

It was set up on August 14 and used members of the drug squad to target known drug houses following the introduction of the Government's tough new anti-drug laws.

 

But Mr Daulby insisted the end of Firefox did not mean police had given up on drug houses.

 

"It's been a significant operation, but it has run its course," he said.

 

"But we will continue to target drug houses."

 

Mr Daulby said education packs on drug house legislation were circulated to officers around the Territory in August.

 

He said he believed all police were confident enough in the legislation for the role of monitoring drug houses to be handed back to general duties police. Firefox has resulted in:

 

FOUR premises across the Territory being served with three notices (one received two notices);

 

NINETEEN premises across the Territory with at least one notice;

 

EIGHT people have been arrested and four summonsed;

 

THIRTY-FOUR raids on drug houses, and

 

FORTY-EIGHT drug infringement notices have been issued.

 

Police have seized 2.1kg of cannabis and nearly 9g of speed.

 

Mr Daulby was dismissive of suggestions the legislation was ineffective against the real drug dealers.

 

Northern Territory News