Operation Kraken-Veron: Second South Australian man charged for alleged role in drug trafficking syndicate

A second South Australian man has been charged for his alleged role in trafficking a commercial quantity of illicit drugs under AFP Operation Kraken-Veron.

The Adelaide man, 39, is expected to face the Adelaide Magistrates Court today (Thursday, 19 September, 2024) after he was charged yesterday with two counts each of trafficking a commercial quantity of controlled drugs and possessing a controlled precursor.

Intelligence from the encrypted communications platform Ghost led AFP investigators to allegedly link the man to a drug trafficking syndicate and they executed a search warrant at a residence in Torrens Park on Tuesday (17 September, 2024).

During the search investigators located 440 grams of methamphetamine as well as 2.2kg of sodium borohydride and 27.2kg of methylamine – both of which are precursor substances used in the manufacturing of illicit drugs.

The man, who was not at the premises at the time of the search warrant, was arrested at Adelaide Airport yesterday (18 September, 2024), after he returned to Adelaide on a domestic flight from Brisbane.

The man was arrested and charged with:

• Two counts of trafficking commercial quantities of controlled drugs, contrary to section 302.2 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth); and
• Two counts of possessing a controlled precursor, contrary to section 33LB of the Controlled Substances Act 1984 (SA).

The maximum penalty for these offences is 25 years' imprisonment.

The investigation is ongoing.