Police say a string of raids from Carrum Downs to Rye has stopped a flow of illicit drugs they believe was aimed at school leavers heading to the Mornington Peninsula.
Across two months, detectives from the Mornington Peninsula Divisional Response Unit carried out eight search warrants and arrested nine people, seizing what they estimate to be more than $170,000 worth of drugs, along with cash, imitation firearms and prohibited weapons.
Officers allege the haul included cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, GHB, methylamphetamine and cannabis that would otherwise have been circulating in party spots as end-of-year celebrations ramped up.
From house parties to alleged supply network
Rather than a single raid, police describe the work as a slow, deliberate campaign that picked off alleged suppliers over several weeks.
In Dromana, a 24-year-old man was arrested at a Beach Street property on 18 November. Police say they found what they regard as a commercial quantity of cocaine with a street value of about $70,000, dozens of MDMA pills, three prohibited knives, prescription medications, 1,4-Butaendiol, ketamine and cash. It will be alleged in court that he was trafficking drugs in Dromana, Rosebud and Rye and targeting schoolies as customers.
He has been charged with trafficking and possessing ecstasy and is listed to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court.
A separate warrant in Rye on 23 October led to the arrests of two men, aged 25 and 55. Police allege they found multiple drugs of dependence, cannabis, four imitation firearms, a machete and cash. The younger man faces trafficking, possession and weapons charges, while the older man has been charged over what police describe as a commercial cannabis grow.
In Carrum Downs, a 45-year-old man was arrested over alleged methylamphetamine trafficking. According to police, he has been charged with trafficking and possessing a drug of dependence and committing an indictable offence while on bail. A warrant has since been issued for his arrest after he did not appear in court.
Two men, aged 23 and 26, were arrested in Frankston South, where detectives say cocaine was being trafficked from a residential address. Their charges include trafficking cocaine and possessing an imitation firearm.
Detectives also say they dismantled a cannabis crop house on York Street, Rosebud, charging a 45-year-old man with cultivating and possessing cannabis. In Mornington, a 56-year-old woman was charged with possessing cannabis and received a caution.
Taken together, police say the seizures removed around $172,000 worth of drugs from the local market in the lead-up to one of the busiest periods on the Peninsula.
‘Quick cash’ risk not worth it, police warn
Mornington Peninsula DRU Acting Detective Sergeant Laura Davenport said the operation was aimed squarely at cutting off supply before it reached young people celebrating the end of school.
“Dealing drugs isn’t just a transaction, it creates victims and fuels further crimes such as burglaries, thefts, assaults and road trauma.”
She said the idea of “quick cash” from dealing ignored the longer-term impact on both the community and the people charged.
“It’s also a false short cut, it may initially come with quick money, but the consequences of getting caught are long lasting.”
Acting Detective Sergeant Davenport urged locals to report suspicious activity around short-stay rentals, units and suburban streets as schoolies and the summer tourist season continue.
“Anyone who sees drug activity in their neighbourhood is urged to report it. This can be done anonymously via Crime Stoppers, but it can prove invaluable for police.”
Police say the broader investigation into alleged trafficking on and around the Peninsula is ongoing.
