A BUNBURY man has been jailed for two years after pleading guilty to being part of a major drug selling ring.
Colin Elvy Hebbend was sentenced in the Bunbury Magistrates Court on Tuesday as the last criminal convicted during the Devonshire Street raids.
Appearing in a closed court for sentencing, Colin Elvy Hebbend was handed a 24 month prison sentence by Magistrate Kelvin Fisher for 16 counts of selling methylamphetamines.
His partner at the time Debra Carol Harvey was sentenced to a 12 month community based order for related drug offences.
South West District Police Superintendent Peter Hatch said the result in court was a testimony to the hard work of local officers.
“Today saw the finalisation of Operation Tyria with the final two offenders sentenced,” he said.
“We are very satisfied with the results of the operation which have seen a number of criminals receive fines or jail sentences up to seven years.
“As a result of this operation, drugs have dried up to a degree in the South West.”
Planning for the operation commenced in April 2013 with 30 raids on South West properties being carried out over a six day period.
In all 36 people from across the region were charged with 135 offences.
The raids saw $875,000 of property seized including houses, cars and jewellery.
Drugs with a street value between $500,000 and $1 million and close to 2,000 needles were also seized.
Superintendent Hatch said the home owned by Hebbend and Harvey was frozen at the time of the raids and civil court proceedings would now go into effect to permanently seize the property.
“Under the criminal confiscation of property act, homes can be seized when police can prove that it was used in the selling of drugs, which we have done here,” he said.
“The Devonshire Street address had been on our radar as a known location for the distribution of drugs and with the help of the public providing information we were able to make our move.
“Our message to those people in our community distributing drugs in a suburban area is that you will not be tolerated – nobody is untouchable.”
Last year the Bunbury Mail reported Devonshire Street residents were happy to see a raid on the suspected drug house.
They said they had endured years of alleged fighting, hooning and drug-related activity from the home.
Hebbend has been in custody since March 10, 2014 and will be eligible for parole.
Outside court Ms Harvey told reporters she thought the sentence she had received was fair.
“It is a shame it happened the way it did but I’m glad to be out [not going to prison],” she said.
“I’m glad it is over.”
