THREE players from Port Macquarie and Camden Haven rugby league clubs are among 16 people arrested in relation to an alleged $1 million drug syndicate on the Mid-North Coast.
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Police discovered 100kg of cannabis, almost $90,000 in cash and seized drug-processing equipment, a number of vehicles and a vessel on Wednesday in the culmination of a four-month investigation.
Properties were searched at Elands and Yarrowitch, west of Port Macquarie, as well as Kendall, Bonny Hills, Laurieton, North Haven and Dunbogan.
The operation used telephone intercepts and surveillance, and involved members of the Target Action Group, the State Crime Command's Drug Squad, dog unit, Polair and NSW Crime Commission.
Local area commander Superintendent Paul Fehon said the operation had dismantled an "organised criminal syndicate" allegedly involved in cultivating, processing and distributing commercial quantities of cannabis across NSW.
"This has been a lengthy, exhaustive and, at times, challenging investigation into an extremely elaborate organised criminal syndicate," Supt Fehon said.
"The alleged syndicate has gone to extreme lengths to avoid detection and the success of the officers involved to achieve these results is testament to diligent and professional policing."
Camden Haven Eagles players Shane Quinn and Luke Scrivener appeared in Port Macquarie Local Court yesterday charged with supplying a large commercial quantity of prohibited drug. Both were refused bail.
Scrivener also is charged with cultivating a prohibited drug, knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime and two counts of possessing a prohibited drug.
Port Macquarie Breakers player and former Eagle, Dean Rogerson, also appeared in court charged with supplying a large commercial quantity of prohibited drug and was refused bail.
Only two of the 15 people who appeared in court yesterday were granted bail.
Bonny Hills grandmother Sharon Ann McGeechan is charged with supplying cannabis after 5kg of the drug was allegedly found in her possession.
Solicitor David Viney said the 50-year-old had strong community ties and no previous criminal record. She was granted $200,000 bail.
Laurieton mother-of-two Bethanie Jolly is charged with knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime in relation to $45,000 in cash allegedly found in her possession.
The 21-year-old was granted $200,000 bail to live with her mother in Laurieton.
North Haven mother-of-four Simone Lesley Croker is charged with supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and recklessly dealing with the proceeds of crime.
The 29-year-old was refused bail.
North Haven mother Arlene Blencoe, 24, is charged with supplying a large commercial quantity of prohibited drug, possessing a prohibited drug, dealing with property suspected of being proceeds of crime and possession/use of a prohibited weapon. She was refused bail.
Brett Andrew Green, 24, of Laurieton, Shane Darrin Quinn, 21, of Kendall, Joshua Dean Arthur Dunn, 20, of Dunbogan, Daniel John Hainey, 19, and Rhys Mitchell Webber, 18, both of Laurieton and Justin Reginald Shannon, 21, of North Haven, are charged with supplying a large commercial quantity of prohibited drug.
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