WA Police reveal details of major drug and firearm seizure after acting on search warrants across Perth

Police have pounced on a sophisticated drug trafficking ring to seize more than $10 million worth of methamphetamine as well as stolen firearms and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. Operation Hollywood commenced in August to investigate a crime syndicate, which resulted in raids this month at properties in Bennett Springs, Noranda, Balcatta and Malaga. Officers discovered more than 10kg of meth — worth about $10 million on the street — as well as cocaine and heroin. Eleven firearms including a shotgun, loaded revolvers, and a small calibre gun disguised to look like a credit card. More than 250 rounds of ammunition was found inside a large tub. The intelligence collected by police led them to conduct a traffic stop on Wednesday where they seized $220,000 in cash, allegedly linked to the syndicate. Three men have been charged in connection to the operation including a 36-year-old from Bennett Springs, a 48-year-old from Bentley and a 20-year-old man from South Australia. Assistant Commissioner Tony Longhorn said eight of the firearms seized by police still contained serial numbers for tracking. “Four of the firearms have been identified as being stolen from rural Western Australian properties dating back to 2012, two of the firearms are not reported on our database, which would suggest they are from interstate and potentially overseas,” Mr Longhorn said. “This seizure exposes the life cycle of firearms that begin in the lawful possession of licensed firearm holders through being stolen during burglaries in rural areas of Western Australia and end up facilitating serious organized criminal activity.” Mr Longhorn said stolen guns were lucrative within organised crime networks and he reiterated the importance of licenced owners ensuring they’re securely stored. He didn’t rule out further charges as part of the operation. “What we’ve identified here is two people, two local individuals, participating in this activity, and at least one person from interstate,” he said. “The investigation is ongoing, and we will look to identify any other parties, whether they be interstate or overseas, that are in some way connected with peddling these drugs in our community.”