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Queensland prison drug syndicate busted

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Jorge Branco

Items police say they seized from alleged Lone Wolf Criminal Motorcycle Gang member Ronnie Refalo.

Items police say they seized from alleged Lone Wolf Criminal Motorcycle Gang member Ronnie Refalo. Photo: Supplied

A man believed to be the supplier for a prison-based drug syndicate has been arrested in Sydney and is due for extradition to Queensland on Thursday, according to police.

Police allege 46-year-old Ronnie Refalo worked from Sydney to supply methylamphetamine (commonly known as ice) to Maryborough Correctional Centre inmate Brett Randall Griffith, 54, who then sold the drugs to other prisoners.

Mr Refalo, who police allege is a member of the Lone Wolf Criminal Motorcycle Gang, is the latest to be arrested as a result of Operation Mike Clyde, which uncovered three separate alleged drug syndicates operating in Queensland prisons - two in Maryborough and one in Ipswich.

Drugs that police say were bound for Maryborough Correctional Centre.

Drugs that police say were bound for Maryborough Correctional Centre.

Detective Inspector Terry Lawrence of anti-bikie police squad Taskforce Maxima, alleged Mr Refalo coordinated couriers to traffic the drugs from Sydney and was central to the operation of the third syndicate, operating in Maryborough.

"You'd put him on the same level as the mastermind up in Maryborough, because he's the actual source of the drugs," he said.

"We'll obviously be alleging he was capable of providing ounces of methylamphetamine at a time."

Queensland police worked with Strike Force Raptor in New South Wales to arrest Mr Refalo on Wednesday in Windsor, a suburb in north-west Sydney.

He is due to fly in to Brisbane on Thursday afternoon, where police plan to charge him with supplying a dangerous drug.  

Detective Inspector Lawrence said the charge was considered more serious because the drugs were allegedly supplied to prisoners, meaning Mr Refalo could face up to 20 years in jail.

Twenty-one people have now been charged with 54 offences as part of Operation Mike Clyde, a joint investigation between police and Queensland Correctional services. Eight of those charged were inmates.

Police allege the majority of the dangerous drugs trafficked into Queensland by Mr Refalo were destined for the Maryborough jail.

More than 100 grams of high-quality methylamphetamine seized during a targeted raid in Maryborough in August was sourced from Mr Refalo, police claim.

Detective Inspector Lawrence said trafficking dangerous drugs into correctional centres was an abuse of justice and denied prisoners' rights to rehabilitate.

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