By Alesha Capone
Police have arrested two men, and seized cash and drugs, in Wyndham as part of a worldwide investigation led by the Australian Federal Police.
Operation Ironside, which involved thousands of AFP and state police officers, saw hundreds of search warrants executed across the nation last week.
The operation used a mobile encrypted messaging platform, covertly run by the FBI, to give legal authorities access to the communications of organised crime groups – which allegedly included plots to kill, mass drug trafficking and gun distribution plans.
Within Victoria, Operation Ironside has led to 49 offenders being charged, 411 kilograms of drugs and $16.8 million of cash being seized and 37 firearms and weapons being found.
Five murder plots have also allegedly been disrupted.
Police carried out search warrants in more than 50 Melbourne suburbs last Tuesday under Operation Ironside, including in Point Cook, Seabrook, Werribee, Laverton North, Tarneit, Williams Landing, Brooklyn and Footscray.
In Tarneit, Victoria Police detected a quantity of what are believed to be steroids.
A 29-year-old man was arrested and has been released pending summons.
In Williams Landing, a large quantity of cash was seized.
A 31-year-old man was arrested before being released pending further inquiries.
AFP Southern Command Assistant Commissioner Bruce Giles said Operation Ironside “had taken a wrecking ball to the criminal environment attempting to operate across Victoria”.
Assistant Commissioner Giles said Operation Ironside would potentially clean out a significant portion of the Comancheros Outlaw Motorcycle Gang and derail Australian organised criminal syndicates seeking to import illicit drugs.
