A WOMAN arrested as part of an ongoing drug investigation allegedly tried to escape police by jumping over a fence at Merrylands last week.
The investigation by Wetherill Park Region Enforcement Squad (RES) began in July, with four people already before the courts facing a range of drugs and weapon charges.
On Thursday, the Wetherill Park RES assisted by Bass Hills RES, executed a search warrant at a home at South Wentworthville and allegedly seized a quantity of drugs, and a small safe, which contained a homemade .22 calibre firearm and $6,000 in cash.
Officers from Bass Hills RES later located the 38-year-old female resident at a home on Friend Street in Merrylands but she allegedly tried to escape over a back fence.
Police will allege in court that before she was arrested, she gave a backpack to a 12-year-old boy that contained $7,000 cash, which is suspected to be proceeds of crime, and two mobile phones connected to drug supply activity.
She has been charged with possessing an unauthorised pistol, possessing an unregistered firearm-prohibited firearm, two counts of supplying a prohibited drug SF Sport, possessing a prohibited drug, dealing with property proceeds of crime, owner/occupier knowingly allowing use as drug premises, and owner/occupier knowingly exposing child to drugs.
Search 22 bikie cells
FINKS bikies and their associates in six NSW jails, including Silverwater, were targeted by a joint state-wide operation on Thursday, November 28.
The Criminal Groups Squad’s (CGS) Strike Force Raptor and Corrective Services NSW conducted a one-day proactive operation which involved 22 cell searches.
CGS commander, detective superintendent Deb Wallace, says Strike Force Raptor is relentless in pursuing outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMCG).
“The community should take comfort in the fact we are weakening OMCGs and causing disruption to their criminal groups while they attempt to recruit or commit other offences while in custody,” she said.
Evacuated over blaze
RESIDENTS of a Merrylands unit block were forced to flee their homes after a fire broke out in a 12th floor unit in the early hours of Saturday, November 30.
Emergency services were called to the unit complex on Burford Street, about 1.25am and the first responders on the scene found a unit well alight.
Police assisted in the evacuation of the occupants who were attempting to extinguish the blaze.
Fire fighters extinguished the blaze, and there were no reports of injuries.
Officers from Cumberland Police Area Command have commenced investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident but the cause of the blaze is yet to be determined.
Supplied drug at fest
FOUR people have been charged with drug supply at the Festival X music event held at Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday, November 30.
More than 44,000 festival goers attended the event and during a high-visibility police operation, 137 drug detections were recorded, including 13 people found in possession of prohibited drugs who were dealt with by way of a Drug Criminal Infringement Notice (CIN) with fines of up to $400.
A number of other offences including fail to quit, trespass, fraud, and possess false identification were also identified and dealt with by way of infringement notices, future court attendance notices or under the Youth Offenders Act.
