Organised crime stash found in Melbourne rental property with explosives, drugs, cash
Consensus Summary
Victoria Police discovered a significant stash of drugs, explosives, over $1 million in cash, and firearms at a short-term rental property in Keilor East on January 24, 2026. The discovery was made by a cleaner, prompting the Bomb Response Unit and the Australian Defence Force to detonate incendiary devices in controlled explosions. Police have released CCTV footage of a man fuelling a white Toyota Camry linked to the property at a service station on the Western Ring Road in Ardeer on Christmas Day. The Camry was rented by someone not cooperating with police, while another man interviewed about the rental booking was released pending further enquiries. Investigators believe the stash is connected to organised crime and are urging the public to come forward with information about the man in the CCTV footage.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- A cleaner found drugs, explosives, more than $1 million in cash, and firearms at a rental property in Keilor East on January 24, 2026.
- Incendiary devices were detonated in controlled explosions by the Bomb Response Unit and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) at the property.
- A white Toyota Camry was linked to the property, with CCTV capturing a man fuelling it at a service station on the Western Ring Road in Ardeer on Christmas Day (December 25, 2025).
- Police interviewed a man related to the booking of the rental property, who was released pending further enquiries.
- The rental property was booked for a couple of weeks in January 2026.
- Detective Inspector Jamie Walker from the Major Drug Squad urged the public to come forward with information about the man in the CCTV footage.
- The white Toyota Camry was hired from a car rental company, but the man in the CCTV footage was not the person who hired it.
- The man who hired the vehicle is not cooperating with police.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The property was rented for weeks in January, and police were called on January 24 after the stash was discovered.
- The white Camry made several visits to the Keilor East property during the rental period.
- Detective Inspector Jamie Walker stated, 'This was not a run of the mill seizure of drugs and cash – there were incendiary devices and a large quantity of firearms. This is organised crime.'
- The Camry was seized by police earlier this year in January.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Article 1 mentions the CCTV footage was taken at Ardeer on Christmas Day, while Article 2 specifies Ardeer South, though both refer to the Western Ring Road location.
Source Articles
Bomb squad called in after rental home cleaner finds explosives, drugs, cash
Authorities were forced to conduct controlled explosions at a property in Melbourne's north-west after a cleaner stumbled across drugs and explosives.
$1m guns, drugs, explosives found in Melbourne rental
A cleaner’s routine visit to a Melbourne rental uncovered more than $1m in drugs, firearms and explosives linked to organised crime.