Police raided five properties across the Bathurst region, allegedly seizing firearms, ammunition, explosives, drugs and cash. They subsequently charged two local men with dozens of offences.

Strike Force Patto, comprising detectives from Chifley Local Area Command, was formed in July 2014 to investigate the sale and supply of firearms and prohibited drugs in the area.

Officers from Chifley Local Area Command, with the assistance of police from Orana, Mudgee and Canobolas commands and the Dog Unit, executed five search warrants at premises in Bathurst, Kelso and Mount Rankin.

Police will allege that during the search of a business on Lambert Street in Bathurst, they located nearly 200gms of methylamphetamines. 

Police allegedly seized further quantities of methylamphetamines and cash during a search of a house in Casey Circuit, West Bathurst.

They also searched a storage container at a property on Toronto Street, Kelso where they allegedly located nine rifles, railway detonators and explosives, canisters of OC (capsicum) spray, a stun-gun device, large amounts of ammunition as well as computers and electronic equipment alleged to have been stolen.

The entire container was seized by police with the contents to undergo further examination.

A Mount Rankin dwelling and a storage facility in South Bathurst were also raided in the operation.

Reyne Hunt, 32, of West Bathurst, and a 39-year-old Mount Rankin man were arrested during the operation and taken to Bathurst Police Station, where they were spoken to by investigators.

Hunt was charged with 27 offences, including possess unregistered firearms, not keep firearm safely, goods in custody, supply prohibited drug, possess prohibited drug, possess ammunition, deal with proceeds of crime and possess prohibited weapon.

The 39-year-old Mount Rankin man was granted conditional bail early yesterday morning after he was charged with supply prohibited drug.

He will appear in Bathurst Local Court on Monday, December 1, 2014.

Chifley Local Area Command Detective Inspector Luke Rankin said these were the first arrests under Strike Force Patto, and they resulted in a significant seizure of drugs, weapons, explosives and cash.

He said the investigation was ongoing. 

Detective Inspector Rankin said he could not confirm whether further people would be charged in relation to Wednesday’s raids.

While the seizure of methylamphetamines was significant, Detective Inspector Rankin said he feared the impact on users would be minimal.

“It will have some impact but, unfortunately, there’s always someone else that will fill the void,” he said.