1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,800 Speaker 1: Well, Drug and Organized crime detectives have seized one hundred 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:08,399 Speaker 1: and thirteen kilograms of cannabis and around one hundred and 3 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:11,640 Speaker 1: seventy thousand dollars in cash in a major drug operation, 4 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:16,279 Speaker 1: which officers say have significantly disrupted the activities of a 5 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:21,119 Speaker 1: Vietnamese organized crime syndicate operating across state borders. Now joining 6 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:23,640 Speaker 1: me in the studio to talk more about this drug 7 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: bust is the Drug and Organized Crime Detective Superintendent Lee Morgan. 8 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: Good morning to. 9 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 2: You, Lee, Good morning Cody, and good morning to all 10 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 2: your listeners. 11 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: Good to have you on the show. Now, tell me 12 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: what happened on Monday with this apprehension. 13 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, great result for the community and for the police. 14 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 2: On Monday, late last week, we received some information about 15 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 2: a possible import occurring into the territory. We conducted an investigation, 16 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:51,360 Speaker 2: worked out who the people were we need to be 17 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 2: looking at, and ultimately that resulted in a fantastic seizure 18 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 2: on Monday. 19 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: Now, I know you probably can't go into to the 20 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 1: operational sort of side of it, but like, how did 21 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: you you know, like how do you kind of catch them? 22 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's it's tough to answer, Katie, because obviously we 23 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:09,320 Speaker 2: don't want to give away all our methodologies. We want 24 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 2: to keep catching these people. Look, we rely on lots 25 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 2: of different ways to catch people. We often receive phone calls, 26 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 2: anonymous tip off through crime stoppers about things. We're always 27 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 2: talking to people in the community, people are providing us information. 28 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 2: There's so many different ways for us to achieve that result. 29 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:27,919 Speaker 2: And unfortunately I'm not going to go into much more detail, 30 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 2: but the fact is we've got the information late last week, 31 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 2: which led to some work over the weekend and a 32 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 2: great result on Monday. 33 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: Now in terms of you know, in terms of how 34 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: like the kind of value that this is worth. So 35 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:46,479 Speaker 1: we're talking one hundred and thirteen kilograms of cannabis, what 36 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: kind of street value does that have? 37 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 2: That's I'll break that down a little bit for you. 38 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 2: So if that's sold in pounds, so the drug community, 39 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 2: cannabis are operating pounds, not keiloads. But if that's sold 40 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 2: in pounds, it's probably worth about a million dollars. Wow, 41 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 2: then you break that down even further once I've spent 42 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 2: time living and working in remote communities and drugs are 43 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 2: very expensive in community, so that arrange it could be 44 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 2: one hundred one hundred and fifty dollars per gram. So 45 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 2: you know, I'm not a mathematician, but that works out 46 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 2: to be a hell of a lot of money. 47 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: It's a heck of a lot of money. And in 48 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: addition to that, I mean it's like it also I'm 49 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 1: assuming means that those drugs then aren't going to be 50 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: circulated all throughout the Northern Territory community. Like, how far 51 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 1: and wide can that volume of drugs go? 52 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, that amount of cannabis would be distributed through various 53 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 2: networks in Darwin and maybe throughout the territory some of 54 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 2: that stuff, some of that cannabis will make its way. 55 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 2: It would have made its way into communities where we 56 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 2: know there's significant social harms that occur out there. Another community. 57 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 2: You have very varying concerns about whether police should be 58 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 2: looking at cannabis or not. But for us, it's another 59 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:59,639 Speaker 2: drug taking off the streets. The social harms that come 60 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 2: from of us addiction are enormous. A lot of people 61 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,640 Speaker 2: just don't really understand how dangerous it is. And what 62 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 2: we've done is we've taken one hundred and thirty a 63 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 2: kilos off, which in our opinion makes the community are 64 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 2: safe for place. 65 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, and look it was interesting yesterday I'd read this 66 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: pressure release out when it came through yesterday and some 67 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 1: people were messaging through going, oh, well, for you know, 68 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 1: cannabis is something you know that she used medicinal marijuana. 69 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: And then I had a mum message and she said, 70 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: please thank the Northern Territory Police. I've got a son 71 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: that's been dealing with issues as a result of cannabis 72 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: and had you know, suffered from psychosis and other issues after, 73 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: you know, obviously after using cannabis. So I think it 74 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: like you're touched on. There is sort of differing views 75 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: on this, but I guess the worry as well is 76 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: that for some you know, you get on the cannabis 77 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 1: and then it leads to two. 78 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 2: Harder drugs, right, absolutely, Catie. I mean there's two points there. 79 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 2: One is it can be a gatway drug, absolutely, but 80 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 2: even if it's not, the long term effects of over 81 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 2: use of cannabis can be incredibly problematic. I've seen it 82 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 2: in my personal life through people I grew up with, 83 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:08,840 Speaker 2: but also having been in the territory and pleasing the 84 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 2: territory for over twenty seven years and living in remote 85 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 2: locations I've seen the impact it has. Heavy use of 86 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 2: cannabis and the psychotic episodes that occur are really problematic 87 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 2: and really cause a lot of social harms in the community. 88 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 1: May tell me one hundred and thirteen kilograms, is this 89 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 1: the biggest bust of cannabis we've ever had in the 90 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 1: Northern Territory. 91 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, for a short term operation. The limited research we're 92 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 2: able to do since the seizure tells us it probably is. 93 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:40,279 Speaker 2: We don't want to claim it as the biggest ever 94 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 2: because there might be an old detective from a long 95 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:44,599 Speaker 2: time ago says, hey we got two on aiculos, but 96 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 2: in living memory, probably in the last three decades, it's 97 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 2: probably the biggest single seizure, particularly for a short term operation. 98 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 2: We do do longer jobs occasionally over a long period 99 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 2: a number of seizures with total more than one hundred 100 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 2: and thirteen kilos, but the biggest single seizure it will 101 00:04:58,480 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 2: definitely be up there. 102 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: Yeah. Also one hundred and seventy thousand dollars in cash. 103 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, so that's you can take the drugs that get 104 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:09,839 Speaker 2: more drugs. The money hurts them, so we like to 105 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 2: grab the money when we can, and unfortunately on this 106 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 2: occasion one hundred and seventy thousand dollars we were able 107 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:14,280 Speaker 2: to grab at the same time. 108 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 1: So obviously the headline really has been the fact that 109 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: it's such a huge amount of drugs that's been ceased. 110 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: But what's the situation with the people that have been 111 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:25,920 Speaker 1: arrested and are they I'm assuming that they've now been charged. 112 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, so three men were charged. The two Vietnamese men 113 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 2: who are originally from Victoria were peered in court yesterday 114 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 2: and they have been remarded in custody to the thirtieth 115 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 2: of June, I believe, and the local man who was 116 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:41,839 Speaker 2: arrested will appear in court today. 117 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:44,599 Speaker 1: And they also had a bit of a small amount 118 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 1: of cocaine as well. 119 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, we think that was probably personal use stuff. 120 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:50,159 Speaker 2: There wasn't enough there to say they were going to 121 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 2: distribute that to anyone else. 122 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:53,840 Speaker 1: Tell you what been a busy few days for drug 123 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 1: and organized crime by the sounds of it. And you've 124 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: also been involved in Operation Frome, Yes. 125 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 2: So Operation Frome was by a Road Safety division. Drug 126 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 2: and Organized Crime assisted in that operation a number of 127 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 2: roadblocks around the territory in order to try and reduce 128 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 2: the road toll. But What concerned me out of that 129 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,599 Speaker 2: was there were three imitation firearms seized. Now I've seen 130 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 2: and handled two of those. One looks like a machine gun, 131 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 2: one looks like a glock, which is what police carry, 132 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,839 Speaker 2: and I can't tell the difference. They're really dangerous. My 133 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 2: concern is these imitation fire they're jell blasters. My real 134 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 2: concern is that these get in the hands of people 135 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 2: who think they're toys. People make bad decisions, alcohol, drugs, etc. 136 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,839 Speaker 2: Get their hands on one of these. Somebody could end 137 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 2: up easily being shot by police if they present one 138 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 2: of these firearms. So there's really significant dangers with these 139 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:44,280 Speaker 2: imitations for you. 140 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 1: All right, So is that something that like that's happened before. 141 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: Is it kind of common for these imitation firearms to 142 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 1: be seized? 143 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, not overly common. We do see them occasionally. The 144 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 2: jell blasters, historically we're a toy. Over time, they're now 145 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 2: manufactured to look more more like real firearms, and you 146 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:05,720 Speaker 2: get someone holding one in poor light in a hostile environment, 147 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:08,600 Speaker 2: and it's not gonna end well. And that's a real concern. 148 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 2: So I just hope I just want to get that 149 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 2: safety message out there about these. Your blasters. Whilst they're toys, 150 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 2: they can easily be perceived as real firearms and have 151 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 2: really catastrophic consequences. 152 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, good point, well, drug an Organized Crime Detective Superintendent 153 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:23,679 Speaker 1: Lee Morgan. Great to have you on the show this morning. 154 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your time and well done 155 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 1: to the police on this massive, massive drug bust. 156 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 2: Thanks Gatie, thanks for having us in. 157 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 1: Thank you