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CENTRAL WEST, NSW – NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller was in the Central West on Wednesday to oversee the major state and national police operation which effectively shut down a major statewide drug distribution network.

Ten raids were made on properties across the Central West. 10 people were arrested and huge quantities of drugs, principally Methylamphetamine (Ice), firearms and motor bikes were seized.

While in the region the commissioner, who said of Wednesday’s operation that it was one of the biggest he has been involved in, slammed the widespread distribution and use of Ice.

“Ice is such a destructive drug, it kills people and it tears families apart and we know its devastation is particularly evident in our regional communities,” Commissioner Fuller said Wednesday outside Dubbo Police Station.

“My officers are on the frontline dealing with the effects of this drug and the violence it causes every single day, and today’s operation is an important milestone in our fight against it.”

“That fight is multi-faceted, and includes various harm minimisation and early intervention strategies, as well as a strong focus on bringing suppliers to justice,” the NSW commissioner said.

“The people who supply ice and other prohibited drugs to regional areas deal not only in drugs but in human misery, and as commissioner, I will continue to ensure we keep up the fight against anyone who thinks they can profit from the destruction of other people’s lives.”

Western Region Commander, Acting Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna, said Wednesday’s operation would make a real difference to dozens of communities across New South Wales.

“We will be alleging individuals in Wellington had supply links in Sydney, and distributed to the far corners of NSW, reaching towns such as Bourke, Coonamble and Walgett, in the state’s central north, and various remote Indigenous communities too,” Acting Assistant Commissioner McKenna said.

“These communities have had to put up with the serious crime that comes with this drug for long enough, and I thank them for their patience while we gathered the evidence we needed to.”

“Our investigation has now completely smashed this syndicate, netting not just low level distributors, but the ‘kingpins’ at the top,” McKenna said.

“This is more than just your average drug bust,” he added.

Inquiries are continuing and more arrests are expected, a NSW police statement said.

(File photo).