Firearms and drugs seized

Drugs, cash, explosives, firearms and stolen cars have been seized have been seized by police after arresting a man at an Endeavour Hills shopping centre.

Heavily armed police from the Special Operations Group arrested the 30-year-old Hampton Park man at a shopping centre on the corner of Heatherton Road and Matthew Flinders Ave about 3pm on Friday 6 December.

With support from Casey CIU and the Dandenong Divisional Response Unit, Cardinia Crime Investigation Unit detectives executed three warrants in Hampton Park, Dandenong South and Springvale – as part of Operation Paver, an investigation into firearms and drugs trafficking.

Items seized included:

• Sawn off double barrel shot gun,

• Smith and Wesson handgun,

• An alleged commercial quantity of meth-amphetamine,

• Alleged GHB,

• In excess of $50,000 of cash,

• Five allegedly stolen vehicles,

• A quantity of explosives,

• Large assortment of firearm ammunition,

• Alleged traffickable quantity of cannabis,

• Seven sets of cloned Victorian registration plates, and

• A set of knuckle dusters

The Hampton Park man has been charged with trafficking of firearms, trafficking a commercial quantity of a drug of dependence, trafficking drug of dependence, possessing drug of dependence, prohibited persons possessing a firearm, theft of motor vehicles and several other charges.

He was remanded in custody to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today, Friday 6 December.