Together they flooded Mount Isa with deadly drugs – they made threats, collected debts and fueled their own drug addictions.
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And now they are behind bars.
In July 2016, police arrested more than two dozen people in Mount Isa and Cairns in a large scale drug bust.
On Monday, four members of the syndicate pleaded guilty in the Mount Isa Supreme Court.
Suspected ringleader Lee James Freestone, 39, pleaded guilty to trafficking ice yesterday and will be sentenced at the Cairns Supreme Court on May 24.
Tania Nicola Teamo, 32, pleaded guilty to 10 drug charges including trafficking, supply and possession.
Supreme Court Justice James Henry sentenced her to three years imprisonment but she could be let out after just 7 months in jail.
The mother of nine used her family home as a safe house for drug deals, the court heard.
New Zealand born Teamo was identified as a member of the syndicate when an undercover police officer bought drugs at her home.
Teamo’s partner Robert Adam Cherrington, 37, was also named as a member of the syndicate by police.
He was charged with trafficking dangerous drugs, supplying dangerous drugs, possessing property used in a crime.
Kineta Tatnell, 23, pleaded guilty to trafficking and supplying ice.
She was sentenced to two years and nine months of prison but will be released on parole on May 10.
Tatnell is 24 weeks pregnant and will be released before she is due to give birth in June.
Her defence team argued Tatnell was selling drugs to support her own habit.
The court was told she first took ice at a Mount Isa party when she was held down and injected against her will.
Nathan Lee Carter, 23, was also convicted of drug trafficking, supply and possession.
He was sentenced to prison for two years and nine months but will be released on August 23 this year.
More than half of the accused are still yet to face the Supreme Court.
The Mount Isa based North Caliper operation and Cairns based Oscar Lake was co-ordinated by the Mount Isa Criminal Investigation Branch and the Protracted Operations Unit of the State Drug Squad.
It’s alleged $1.45 million in property was confiscated in the operations.
Officer in Charge of the Mount Isa Criminal Investigations Branch Dave Barron praised the diligent work of police at the time.
“Queensland Police will continue to target the distribution of dangerous drugs in the region,” Det. Sen. Sgt Barron said.
“We have been running Operation Papa Journey around the district since September, targeting the meth distribution.”
If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form 24hrs per day.
