Drug busts, family violence, assaults and burglaries are the current focus for Mitchell Criminal Investigation Unit.
Despite the tobacco raids across Mitchell Shire last week, Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Maher said police’s major focus was preventing crimes from happening and keeping the public safe.
“We’re focusing on drug busts, family violence, assaults and burglaries in the area. Our priorities are crime prevention and public safety,” he said.
He said police had also undertaken numerous seizures of couriers carrying Methamphetamine, or ‘Ice’, and MDMA on the Hume Freeway.
“The Hume and Goulburn Valley freeways are the major conduits to Sydney and Brisbane – there’s a lot of couriers going up and down the freeway which is something we also look at and make intercepts and seizures of illicit drugs on those freeways,” he said.
Sen Sgt Maher said police wanted to send out a strong message that illicit tobacco trade was negatively affecting surrounding business.
He said legitimate tobacconists had seen a decline in sales due to illicit trade of tobacco.
Police last week raided two Kilmore businesses, where a quantity of packaged and loose tobacco was found on the premises.
Police will allege both stores did not pay excise for the tobacco.
“Generally speaking, we believe illegitimate stores don’t quite have the scruples of a proper business and we’re receiving anecdotal evidence that some stores may be selling it to minors,” Sgt Maher said.
