House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Ministerial Statement Ministerial Statement Operation Scarlet OPERATION SCARLET The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN House of Assembly Napier Minister for Finance Minister for Police Minister for Correctional Services Minister for Emergency Services Minister for Road Safety The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN (Napier—Minister for Finance, Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:02): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement. Leave granted. The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN House of Assembly The Hon. M.F. O'BRIEN: I rise to update the house on the outcome of Operation Scarlet, a national operation led by the South Australian police. Between August 2012 and January 2013, SAPOL undertook investigations into a national criminal organisation involved in trafficking cannabis and money laundering. The organisation is based in Adelaide and is believed to have regularly shipped large quantities of cannabis to syndicate members in Western Australia and in Queensland. The organisation has been operating since 2008 and is believed to be responsible for the sale of up to 9,000 pounds of cannabis annually at a value of about $40 million. The result of the investigations, as I said, known as Operation Scarlet, led to the search of 69 premises across the Adelaide metropolitan area as well as the Barossa Valley and at Sunnyside near Murray Bridge. The result of these operations led to the arrest of 24 offenders in South Australia for a variety of roles within the organisation, including participating in a criminal organisation, aggravated drug trafficking, money laundering and the cultivation of cannabis. Seizures in South Australia included 10 kilograms of cannabis, 171 cannabis plants, 56 grams of cocaine, steroids as well as close to $200,000 in cash. Searches were also undertaken in both Western Australia and in Queensland, leading to the further seizure of 22 kilograms of cannabis, six plants and more than $200,000 in cash. Each jurisdiction is currently undertaking confiscation proceedings, with South Australian police currently using the confiscation laws enacted by this parliament to seek restraining orders on 21 houses, along with the seized property valued at around $450,000. If investigations show that these assets are the proceeds of crime, then orders will be sought to have them confiscated.