Garry Edgar Milgate and Charlie Haines face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of supplying drugs on an ongoing basis after police, attached to Strike Force Cornwalli, swooped on the pair on Monday.

Strike Force Cornwalli was launched in January by Barwon police to investigate the ongoing supply of fentanyl, a prescription drug, in the Moree area. 

Milgate, 46, and Haines, 21, soon came to the attention of detectives and Barwon crime manager Detective Inspector David Silversides told The Leader police will allege they were working in a joint criminal enterprise.

“[Police] identified those two as significant in the trading of fentanyl patches in Moree,” he said.

“Fentanyl is an opioid analgesic, and similar to morphine, but 80 to 100 times more potent.”

The pair are accused of supplying fentanyl patches, a potent prescription opioid which has been linked to three fatal overdoses and more than 25 non-fatal overdoses in the Barwon command in the last two years.

Police intelligence suggests dealers are cutting the patches up without measuring, and supplying them before users heated and injected it with vinegar.

“There is an inherent risk because they are not controlling the dosage, and that’s what makes it particularly dangerous,” Detective Inspector Silversides said.

“That preparation before use is the risk with fentanyl.”

Detective Inspector Silversides said investigators had been working closely with the Ministry of Health to drill down into the use of fentanyl and how it was being illegally obtained.

“Doctor shopping is certainly an issue,” he said.

“The suppliers are getting access to the patches from somewhere, more often than not through a prescription.

“It’s all not from the same doctor. It’s a broader issue, not just for Moree and the Barwon LAC, but other areas.”

Haines fronted the dock of Moree Local Court yesterday afternoon facing five drug related offences, and accused of allegedly dealing the patches across Moree since January, while Milgate faces the same allegations, as well as additional charges of goods in custody and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.

The pair lodged bids for release but Magistrate Michael O'Brien found both were an unacceptable risk of failing to appear, could also commit a serious offence, endanger the safety of victims or the community and potentially interfere with witnesses or evidence.

Magistrate O’Brien refused bail and ordered investigators to compile a brief of evidence before the case returns to court in June.

During a coordinated series of raids on homes in Moree on Monday, officers seized cars and a boat which they will allege were the proceeds of the criminal supplies.