AusLeisure

Olympic and Commonwealth Games medallist Jack Bobridge has been charged with drug dealing as part of an ongoing operation targeting licensed venues in Perth.

Bobridge was arrested on Wednesday after Western Australian Police executed search warrants at his home in the northern suburb of Yokine, as well as a North Perth business.

A Police statement later advised "the investigation led detectives to charge the 28-year-old man with two counts of sell and supply a trafficable quantity of MDMA and three counts of sell and supply MDMA."

Bobridge appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court yesterday (24th August) to face six charges.

He was granted bail and is due to reappear in court next month.

Bobridge was forced to retire from cycling last year due to rheumatoid arthritis after appearing at three Olympic Games and winning two silver medals, including one in the men's team pursuit at the Rio Games last August.

At the time, he was the reigning Australian road race champion, having produced a stunning effort in Buninyong near Ballarat to win the national championship.

Bobridge also claimed three track world championship gold medals, four Commonwealth Games golds - including two in Glasgow in 2014 - and broke the individual pursuit world record in 2011.

Detectives in Perth said he had been charged as part of Operation Inception, an investigation targeting entertainment precincts in the city.

Police advised that ecstasy, cocaine, methylamphetamine and cannabis worth a total of about $1 million has been seized so far during the operation, with 61 people facing charges.

Western Australian Police Detective Senior Sergeant Darryl Cox told the ABC "significant resources have been put into the Perth entertainment precincts to ensure that we identify those people selling drugs

"We will continue to target anyone that enters the entertainment precinct with drugs.

"We want these venues to be safe for all patrons and we encourage all community members, including those who work in the entertainment sector, to provide us with information about drug dealing.

"We do not want our young adults subject to brazen drug dealing in the entertainment precincts."

Image: Jack Bobridge at the 2008 Olympic homecoming parade in Adelaide.

6th May 2017 - NRL ROCKED BY LATEST DRUG SCANDALS

1st April 2017 - PROMOTER ANDREW MCMANUS SPARED JAIL TIME IN SUITCASE DRUG MONEY CASE

19th August 2016 - SYDNEY PERSONAL TRAINER SENTENCED TO MINIMUM FIVE YEAR JAIL TERM FOR DRUG DEALING

27th May 2013 - ASADA WELCOMES NRL’S NEW ANTI-DOPING PROGRAM 

7th February 2013 - DRUGS AND CRIME REPORT ROCKS AUSTRALIAN SPORT 

3rd February 2013 - GOVERNMENT ENDORSES BLUEPRINT TO PROTECT THE FUTURE OF AUSTRALIAN CYCLING

19th January 2013 - 'SERIAL CHEAT' ARMSTRONG’S DOPING ADMISSIONS QUESTIONED BY WADA PRESIDENT FAHEY

8th November 2012 - NEW UNIT TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF AUSTRALIA SPORT

20th October 2012 - LUNDY CALLS FOR CYCLING AUSTRALIA REVIEW

17th October 2012 - NEW PARTNERSHIP TO TACKLE DOPING IN SPORT

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.