Four charged after Albany drugs raid as police increase focus on drug activities in short-stay accommodation

Four people have been charged as part of an Albany police investigation targeting drug operations in short-stay accommodation. In what they described as a bid to disrupt the activities of drug dealers using short-stay accommodation, Albany detectives allegedly seized about 2.3g of methamphetamine along with electronic scales and empty clip seal bags during a search of a Bayonet Head premises last Tuesday. They also allegedly seized $1100 in cash during the raid, along with four gel-blaster handguns, a taser, pepper spray, and smoking implements. A 33-year-old Albany man was charged with possession of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and a controlled weapon. A 33-year-old Albany woman and a 28-year-old Perth woman were both charged with possession of methamphetamine, while a 28-year-old Mt Barker woman was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. Albany Det. Sen Const. Chris Marston said police had increased their focus on short-stay accommodation for drug users and dealers. He said owners, managers or neighbours of such facilities should keep an eye out for suspicious activity such as regular visitors at all hours of the day and night. “It has always been something they have utilised, especially recently, more so the motels and hotels,” Det. Sen. Const. Marston said. “It seems like, especially here, we believe they are using Airbnbs more so now because they sort of have burnt their bridges with motels or are known in town to those motels. “With Albany being as small as it is, hotels get to know who they don’t want staying there, whereas with an Airbnb, you are doing it online, no one really knows who they are renting their place out to. “Airbnbs are something that hasn’t been focused on as much, so it’s definitely something we are going to be looking at doing more of.” Police say the 33-year-old Albany man was also found with sets of keys to other accommodation facilities in Albany. He is due to appear in Albany Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. “He had keys from three different motels around Albany, one of which he is banned from,” Det. Sen. Const. Marston said. “He’s just left and taken those keys with him and hasn’t stayed in one of them since April. “They’ll take a key, check out that day, and there is nothing really stopping them going back that night.” Det. Sen. Const. Marston said despite the relatively small amount of drugs seized, it would still make an impact in Albany. “It wasn’t a huge amount that we seized but it comes down to disruption and ongoing investigations as a result of the mobile phones we seized and things like that,” he said. “It does make a difference. “There was also evidence there of more being there, a lot of empty bags and containers. “They had been there for three or four days prior to us going. “We got the information quite late in the picture in this case but if we had that info two or three days earlier might have been a lot bigger.” The presence of the soon-to-be illegal gel blaster guns at the property pointed to the reasoning behind the impending Statewide ban, he said.