ACT Region Crime Stoppers launches campaign to tackle the illicit drug trade in the Canberra region

ACT Region Crime Stoppers launches campaign to tackle the illicit drug trade in the Canberra region

Thanks to an Australian Government grant, this new Crime Stoppers campaign calls on people who know something about the illicit drug trade in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) to report information anonymously. This information will assist ACT Policing to disrupt the supply of illegal drugs into and around Canberra and Queanbeyan and also work with other State and Territory law enforcement to break the supply of illicit drugs.

In some way, every family in Australia has been impacted by drugs, whether that’s losing a loved one to addiction, being one of the 10% of people who have been victim of an illicit-drug related incident, or indirectly because of the significant health and social costs to the community.

Oliver Forrester, Chair of ACT Region Crime Stoppers says “Our research has shown drugs remain the number one crime of concern for Australians.”

Chief Police Officer Neil Gaughan said “While drug use in the ACT remains an issue, police first and foremost target those who seek to profit from the manufacture and sale of illicit substances.

“We are proud to partner with Crime Stoppers ACT on this important campaign, and while our investigators work incredibly hard, we also rely on information from the public to inform investigations.

“Every piece of information is important to police and could prove vital to an investigation, leading to an arrest and prosecution.”

According to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission 2022 Wastewater Analysis Report, the ACT ranked first nationally in capital city consumption of oxycodone, and second in cocaine, fentanyl and cannabis consumption and MDA excretion.

“We want your help to unsettle domestic drug markets, disrupt national and international supply chains and hamper activities of criminal networks, particularly organised crime groups – and the eyes and ears of the community will help make that happen.

Contacting Crime Stoppers anonymously means the criminals will never know who spoke up.  “We want to know what you know, not who you are” said Oliver.

The Crime Stoppers Illicit Drugs Campaign will continue until September 2023 with advertising across the ACT region to be a major focus.

To anonymously report what you know, visit https://www.crimestoppersact.com.au/