July 28, 2024
Shadow home affairs minister James Paterson has slammed his Labor counterpart after organised crime detectives discovered a drug supply operation being run out of Villawood Immigration Detention Centre.
On Saturday, it was revealed police charged two men as part of an investigation into an alleged criminal syndicate supplying drugs from the immigration detention centre.
NSW Police will allege 49-year-old Nigerian national Dirichukwu Patrick Nweke had been coordinating drug runners selling cocaine and methamphetamine across Sydney.
Police said Nweke had been dealing large amounts of the illicit drugs and used an encrypted messaging app from his cell in Villawood detention centre to communicate with a network of drug runners who transacted on his orders.
During a search of a unit in the centre on July 11, police found three mobile phones, two kilograms of methylamphetamine and $169,000 in cash.
Nweke was charged with two counts of supplying an indictable quantity of a prohibited drug, supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and directing a criminal group.
Police also seized $325,000 in cash.
He was taken to Bankstown Police Station where he was refused bail to appear before the local court on July 12.
On July 24, police carried out a search warrant at an address in Liverpool where they located 750 grams of methylamphetamine and 90 grams of heroin in a toilet bowl.
Police allege it was an attempt to dispose of the drugs.
A 24-year-old man, who police allege was a drug runner for Nweke, was arrested and taken to Liverpool Police Station where he was charged with two counts of supplying prohibited drugs, dealing with property that is the proceeds of crime and participating criminal group.
He was refused bail and appeared in Liverpool Local Court.
Shadow home affairs minister James Paterson told Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell on Sunday Agenda it was "extraordinary" an immigration detainee, in a detention centre, had been running an "enormous drug smuggling operation".
"This is a shocking failure of immigration detention on this minister's watch, yet again," Mr Paterson said.
"Just like the release of dangerous detainees into the community, just like Direction 99, just like on border protection - the least the prime minister can do is put some new ministers in.
"Frankly both Clare O'Neil and Andrew Giles should be going to the back bench, they shouldn't be dumped on any other portfolio, whether it's housing or veterans' affairs or defence material."
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles praised the Australian Border Force for carrying out a "very successful operation".
"We're very pleased with the outcome of this operation, but certainly what was being revealed and what has been stopped is completely unacceptable," he said.
"I mean, these things occur, but what matters is that our authorities are working on them and are able to bring them to a close and there will be significant consequences for those involved."
