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Cops breaking the ice

The impact of an eight-month operation in which police seized 750g of ice and charged 23 people has begun to take shape, with a 25-year-old man jailed for more than four years earlier this week.

The impact of an eight-month operation in which police seized 750g of ice and charged 23 people has begun to take shape, with a 25-year-old man jailed for more than four years earlier this week.

James Daniel Pugh, described as the "head figure" of a group of street-level dealers, was ordered to spend four years and four months behind bars in Kalgoorlie District Court on Monday.

Pugh was arrested with 14g of ice in October last year as a result of intelligence police gathered during an investigation into the local methamphetamine distribution network.

Five detectives worked on the investigation from March to November 2014, eventually laying a total of 85 drug-related charges.

Acting Detective-Senior Sergeant Craig Wasley commended the officers involved, saying the operation put a dent in the flow of ice in the city.

"I think it's made a significant impact on the distribution of methamphetamine in Kalgoorlie," he said.

The damage methamphetamine causes to the community was again underlined this week when an Esperance resident was flown to hospital in a drug-induced psychosis.

It is the third incident of its kind within a month for Esperance, with police attributing the cases to a high-grade batch of ice circulating through the community.

On Monday, Pugh was sentenced on 22 counts of offering to sell or supply methamphetamine, two counts of possessing methamphetamine with intent to sell or supply, five counts of conspiracy to sell or supply methamphetamine, and supplying methamphetamine.

His partner, Natasha Elizabeth Abel, was sentenced to a 12-month suspended jail term for playing a minor role in Pugh's operation.

The court heard Pugh had been distributing ice in amounts ranging from 0.1g to 3.5g over several months in 2014.

Abel was charged for three incidents where she helped facilitate deals organised by her partner.

Judge Julie Wager noted Pugh may have started selling ice out of financial need but ultimately he "dealt for profit" and condemned the distribution of the drug.

"The reason methamphetamine is a high-level drug is because of the impact it has on the community," she said.

Several people charged as a result of the police investigation are due to appear in court in the coming months.