Three men were arrested while guns, drugs, cash, luxury watches and a Lamborghini were allegedly seized in multiple raids targeting an alleged drug syndicate.
Officers from the State Crime Command’s Organized Crime Squad and the NSW Crime Commission targeted a high-profile suspected drug syndicate in August last year.
The joint investigation, known as Strike Force Lavington, focused on the alleged syndicate being run at Harrington Park in Sydney’s Macarthur region, about 70 kilometers west of the CBD.
Strike force officers raided four properties in Harrington Park, Ingleburn, Abbotsbury and Bondi on Tuesday and allegedly seized more than $4 million in assets, weapons and drugs.
During the raids, police allegedly confiscated around 1.3kg of methylamphetamine, which has a street value of $1 million.
Strike force officers approached a suspected drugs syndicate and raided four homes in Harrington Park (pictured), Ingleburn, Abbotsbury and Bondi on Tuesday.
Police seized assets worth more than $4 million, including a $300,000 Lamborghini (pictured)
A $300,000 Lamborghini and a special edition VK Commodore Brock racing car valued at $500,000 were also seized.
Detectives, with the help of NSWCC, were also able to freeze property worth $3.2 million.
Detective Superintendent of the State Crime Command’s Organized Crime Squad, Peter Faux, said targeting assets allowed police to “disrupt” alleged illegal activity.
“Striking and seizing assets is a very important part of our work because it allows us to completely disrupt the activity of suspected criminals and put the onus back on them to prove that their assets have been obtained legally,” he said.
NSW Crime Commission Executive Director of Operations Darren Bennett said detectives were determined to strip suspected criminals of their wealth.
“Today’s raids are just the beginning of hard work, and a civil process will now begin aimed at stripping the alleged criminals of their wealth that we can establish has been obtained illegally,” he said.
Police also confiscated luxury watches (left) worth more than $400,000 and several weapons (right) during the crackdown.
Bennett added that police had numerous ongoing investigations aimed at seizing unexplained wealth from suspected criminals.
He added that the public should expect to see more operations, such as raids, in the coming months.
It comes after strike force detectives stopped a vehicle on the M1 in Brooklyn in August last year and allegedly found 70 grams of cocaine after searching the car.
The 66-year-old driver was arrested and charged with crimes related to drug trafficking. He was refused bail and appeared at Hornsby Local Court on August 28.
In September last year, officers stopped a vehicle near Harrington Park and allegedly found 14 grams of cocaine after searching the car.
The driver, 49, was also arrested and charged with offenses relating to the supply of drugs and granted conditional bail. He faced Campbelltown Local Court on October 19.
Detectives also found a rifle (left) and a large knife (right) during the raids.
A search warrant was then executed at an address in Harrington Park the next day, where a 47-year-old man was arrested.
Police allegedly seized 100 grams of cocaine, 60 grams of methylamphetamine, luxury watches worth more than $400,000, a Dodge Ram and $7,200 in cash.
The man was taken to Narellan Police Station and charged with four counts of supplying prohibited drugs, reckless handling of proceeds of crime and failing to comply with an access to digital evidence order.
He was refused bail and appeared at Picton Local Court on September 27.