A police operation has led to 32 people being charged on 78 offences in the Lockyer Valley.
It was part of a three week operation (June 12-July 3) involving multiple officers from Laidley and Gatton Police Stations, Gatton Criminal Investigation branch, Highway Patrol, Dog Squad and the Darling Downs Tactical Crime Squad targeting drug and property offences as well as road safety.
On the first day, officers pulled over two cars in Plainland where the occupants of the vehicles were observed acting suspiciously.
In a search of a white 2010 Kia Cerato, police allegedly discovered 15 grams of methylamphetamine, mobile phones and drug utensils.
A black bag containing a large sum of cash was allegedly found in the second vehicle, a 2011 Mazda CX-7
A 27 year old Harristown woman was charged with offences including possession of dangerous drugs, possession of utensils and property suspected of having been used in connection with the commission of a drug offence.
A 36-year-old Zillmere woman was also charged with one count of contravening an order about information necessary to access information stored electronically.
The pair will appear in separate courts in late July and early August.
Over the following weeks, officers in Gatton also found a knife, counterfeit cash and pills after pulling over two different drivers.
Dozens of road side tests were also conducted by police resulting in five drivers being charged with drug driving and one with drink driving
Darling Downs District Acting Country Patrol Inspector Stuart Robinson said the number of offenders and charges laid highlights the Queensland Police Service’s (QPS) commitment to keeping the Darling Down’s community safe.
“Queensland has seen its population grow exponentially in recent years including here in the Darling Downs District and it is our role to keep the community safe by detecting, deterring and disrupting all types of criminal activity.” Acting Inspector Robinson said.
“These operations help us to boost capacity, allowing us to get out there and saturate an area we know has been experiencing higher rates of crime.
“While it may not always be visible to the public, our officers are extremely dedicated and work hard every day so our community is safe and feels safe.”
Key statistics:
- 2 knives seized
- 44 Roadside Breath Tests (RBTs) conducted
- 14 Roadside Drug Tests (RDTs) conducted
- 47 Traffic Infringement Notices (TINs) issued
- 42 street checks
- 6 vehicle checks
- 37 proactive patrols of business
