Raptor South officers have used newly introduced organised crime laws to charge a man with possessing a dedicated encrypted criminal communication device (DECCD), as well as 1kg of cocaine, and $130,000 cash, after a vehicle search near Goulburn yesterday.
About 6.20pm yesterday (Monday 13 February 2023), officers from the State Crime Command's Raptor South Squad were patrolling the Goulburn area, when they saw a sedan travelling north on the Hume Highway.
The vehicle pulled into a service station, where police approached and spoke to the driver – a 22-year-old man.
During a search of the vehicle, police located two hidden compartments containing $130,000 cash, 1kg of a white substance, believed to be cocaine, and a suspected dedicated encrypted criminal communication device (DECCD). All items were seized and will undergo further forensic examination.
The man was arrested and taken to Goulburn Police Station, where he was charged with possess DECCD to commit serious criminal activity, supply commercial quantity prohibited drug, and deal with property proceeds of crime.
The Liverpool man was refused bail to appear at Goulburn Local Court today (Tuesday 14 February 2023).
Raptor Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Andrew Koutsoufis, said this is the first time NSW Police have charged a person under the new organised crime legislation prohibiting the possession of a DECCD.
"This investigation highlights that organised crime syndicates use dedicated encrypted criminal communication devices to facilitate their illegal activities to avoid police detection.
"These new organised crime laws provide us with the additional tools to target those involved in organised crime. It is these reasons why these laws, the first in Australia, are vital in aiding our fight against organised crime in NSW.
"Criminals use our major transport routes and highways to transport drugs and cash interstate and throughout NSW. These syndicates think just because they aren't in the city, we won't notice their activities – they're wrong.
"Our Raptor South and North squads continue to work with local police, other State Crime Command Squads, interstate and federal law enforcement agencies to monitor intelligence and disrupt their business model," Det Supt Andrew Koutsoufis said.
Inquiries are continuing.
Anyone with information about outlaw motorcycle gangs and organised criminal activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
