Police raid 13 homes in small Queensland town where ice use is rife
Cunnamulla is a small town with a big problem.
Dozens of police swept through the southwest Queensland township on Saturday in order to break the grip of one cold, malevolent drug.
There were 130 charges laid, most relating to the trafficking of methamphetamine, or ice.
A mother and her young son were among the 13 people arrested as police raided and searched 12 houses – including the home of the CEO of the local Aboriginal health corporation.
Police did not say if any homes were linked to the manufacture of the drug.
Superintendent Maurice Poiner said the drug had a strong grip on the community and the impact was widely felt.
"There's been suicides, there's been a traffic accident that was attributable to amphetamines, there's been a number of overdoses," he told 7 News.
Ice use in Cunnamulla has become so prevalent that when the town celebrated a festival in November 70 per cent of drivers tested positive for the drug.
One man high on the drug assaulted one police officer at the festival.
News break – January 17