Three charged over alleged drug ring.
THREE people have been charged with a raft of drug offences following a four-month investigation into an alleged drug ring by Armidale police.
In what police said was a significant investigation, two men and a woman were taken into custody after their car was stopped in Walcha late last week.
Officers stopped and searched the Toyota Tarago on Derby Street last Thursday and allegedly found heroin, methamphetamine, MDMA and LSD inside with an estimated potential street value of $30,000.
They also allege they found, cash, a stun gun and electronic equipment believed to be stolen.
A search of a house in Uralla also uncovered more suspected stolen electronics, including laptop computers, with the find netting an estimated $10,000.
Three people in the car, a 47-year-old Uralla man, 56-year-old Engadine man and 39-year-old Armidale woman were arrested and taken to Armidale police station.
The 47-year-old man was charged with drug supply while the 56-year-old man was charged with drug supply and dealing with proceeds of crime.
Both men appeared in Armidale Local Court on Friday and were refused bail to appear in court next Wednesday.
The 39-year-old woman was charged with knowingly taking part in the supply of a prohibited drug, supply prohibited drug and possess prohibited drug.
She was granted bail and will also appear in Armidale Local Court next Wednesday.
Officers say the arrests were part of Strike Force Romley, which was established by New England Target Action Group officers to probe into several break-ins in the Armidale area.
New England crime manager Detective Inspector Greig Stier said the investigation uncovered alleged links between the break-ins and a drug supply ring operating in the region.
He said they had received information earlier this year, which they allege connected the three people with a spate of break-ins in the Armidale area.
“We’ve already seen a reduction in break-ins in the last six weeks since we’ve been concentrating on a few others who were trying to sell (stolen) property,” he said.
“We’re still working on a number of avenues and we’ve seized a large amount of property from Uralla.
“We’re sifting through it right now and have so far identified six or eight items which we believe were reported stolen in break-ins.”
Detective Inspector Stier said the investigation was continuing and police were now trying to link the suspected stolen property back to the owners.
“We’re hoping the arrests will make significant inroads into break and enters in the area; we’ve had a steep increase in the last four months,” he said.
“It was a bit of luck there when we did stop that car on Thursday morning; we allege one of the offenders in the car was an upper-level supplier of the drugs.”