Police raid Tamworth courier business, seize suspected illegal drugs

More than a dozen police surrounded Tamworth Regional Express in Taminda just before 11am on Friday, as part of an ongoing investigation into suspected illegal activities.

Trucks and customers were turned away and drivers sent home as police and a sniffer dog did a sweep of the Crown St headquarters. 

Oxley Chief Inspector Phil O’Reilly told The Leader police executed two search warrants in Tamworth as part of an ongoing investigation. 

“Our operation was based on two searches, which included the business in Taminda as well as a residence in Verdelho Dr in Windmill Hill Estate,” he said.

Officers searched courier vans, trucks, the head office, the loading dock and vehicles connected to the business before several items of interest were identified.

A police sniffer dog was called in to help with the search and gave a positive indication to a bag inside a delivery van, just after 11am.

A search of the bag uncovered a quantity of cash, believed to be close to $2000.

A second detection was made by the drug dog, this time in a vehicle which was parked in the warehouse area.

Inside a large grey sports bag, officers removed three large plastic sealed bags of what was suspected to be cannabis.

A mobile phone, scales, a container with an unknown substance inside, heat-sealing bag machines, as well as other suspected drug paraphernalia was also uncovered inside the Express warehouse.

The raid, which unfolded over a number of hours on Friday, involved Tamworth detectives, police from the Tamworth Target Action Group, the Dog Unit as well as uniformed officers.

“No arrests have been made or charges laid but investigations are continuing,” Chief Inspector O’Reilly said.

“If anyone has information that would assist police in this investigation, we would ask them to contact Tamworth detectives.”

Chief Inspector O’Reilly said the goods seized would now be forensically tested as police investigated all links, but he made no apologies for the strong show of force, signalling the crackdown on illegal drugs would continue.

“The possession and distribution of prohibited drugs in our community is a concern and we will continue to combat it,” he said.

“We ask the community to contact us with information on suspicious vehicles, persons or activity across the command, and we urge them to report that to Tamworth police or Crime Stoppers.”

In June last year, Tamworth Regional Express went into voluntary administration but continued to trade.

Administrators were appointed after the company, which had about 30 employees, amassed debts of $1.3  million.

The family-owned business says it specialises in express distribution services in North West NSW, and late on Friday The Leader was contacted by a solicitor for the company, who said the company’s officers and staff co-operated fully with the police.

The company would release a statement in due course if necessary, the solicitor said.

The business is also an agent for courier giant, Toll, who confirmed to The Leader it was aware of the police raids.

“Tamworth Regional Express is a family-run agency sub-contracted by us as an agent in the New England region. As Tamworth Regional Express are not part of the Toll Group we have minimal details of the raids,” a Toll spokesperson said.

“We will seek more detail from Tamworth Regional Express as this progresses.”