Saddle up and meet the men and women of the fabled Queensland Police Service Rural and Stock Crime Squad.

This legendary unit was formed in 1959 as the Queensland Stock Investigation Squad, pivoting through the years to the Stock and Rural Crime Investigation Squad then to the

Major Organised Crime Squad Rural.

Whatever its name, the squad’s core function has remained steady through the decades from when it was run out of the Criminal Investigation Branch in Brisbane with just a

Detective Sergeant and three plainclothes officers on board.

Officers with some rural experience and who knew their way around a horse were preferred.

Today the Rural and Stock Crime Squad has teams across Queensland, including in Roma, Charleville, Longreach, Charters Towers and Mareeba. Two detective senior

sergeants – based respectively in Toowoomba and Rockhampton - coordinate the Southern and Northern regions.

The work of the squad, too, has gone way beyond just nabbing cattle duffers and sheep thieves.

Not only does its extensive remit include drug offences, fraud, firearms theft, and wildlife and horse racing offences, but its work may cross state and international borders.

The Queensland Police Service acknowledges all members, including those attached to the Crime and Intelligence Command, who contributed in some way to Breakthrough

and their ongoing efforts to prevent, disrupt, respond and investigate serious crime.

The QPS is also grateful to rural communities across all corners of Queensland – whose support is critical to our mission to make Queensland the Safest State and especially so when living and working in remote and isolated areas.

This episode was produced on the lands of the Toowoomba Jagera, Giabal and Jarowairm peoples.

Special thanks also to the members who have assisted with the production of this podcast episode:

• Assistant Commissioner Katherine Innes APM

• Assistant Commissioner Brian Connors APM

• Detective Inspector Melissa Anderson BM APM

• Det Sgt Glenn Evans (Case Officer) – Toowoomba RSCS

• Det Snr Sgt Jim Lacey – Southern Coordinator.

• Detective Senior Constable Chris Hurtz

• Sarah Trinne and the team at Queensland Police Service Media.

Breakthrough is co-produced by Moo Media and the Queensland Police Service.

Writer and host: Matthew Condon.

Producer: Kate Morris.

Audio production: Tepid Leopard Audio.

LINKS:

Qld Crime Stoppers: ⁠Crime Stoppers Queensland | Make a Report Today

(crimestoppersqld.com.au)⁠

© Queensland Police Service 2025

In this episode, we continue our deep dive into the murky world of the Dark Net, an online haven for drug dealers, gun merchants and other nefarious criminal activities. Come inside Operation Oscar Fetters, as the Synthetic Drugs Operations Unit and other crack teams within the QPS Crime and Intelligence Command take down a multi-million-dollar drug operation, nabbing the mastermind only to have him go on the run, sparking a nationwide manhunt. And we’ll reveal the critical importance of Crimestoppers as a reporting tool and how it helped bring down the empire of this internet drug kingpin on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

We thank the Yuggera people on whose land this episode of Breakthrough was produced.

The Queensland Police Service acknowledges all members, including those attached to the Crime and Intelligence Command, who contributed in some way to the investigation of this case and their ongoing efforts to prevent, disrupt, respond and investigate serious crime.

Special thanks also to the members who have assisted with the production of this podcast episode, including: Assistant Commissioner Katherine Innes APM; Detective Inspector Melissa Anderson BM APM; Detective Senior Sergeant Sasha Finney APM; Detective Sergeant Zoe Knight; Detective Senior Constable Joseph Toohey; Senior Constable Zoe McKee; Sarah Trinne, Maegan Gillespie and the team at Queensland Police Service Media.

Many thanks also to Queensland Health and the team at the ADIS 24/7 Alcohol and Drug Support unit.

Breakthrough is co-produced by Moo Media and the Queensland Police Service.

Writer and host: Matthew Condon.

Producer: Kate Morris.

Audio production: Wasabi Audio.

LINKS:

Qld Crime Stoppers: ⁠Crime Stoppers Queensland | Make a Report Today (crimestoppersqld.com.au)⁠

QPS Reporting Page: ⁠Policelink - Reporting | QPS⁠

© Queensland Police Service 2024

In this episode, we take you behind the façade of respectable Australian suburbia and into the murky world of the Dark Net, an online haven for drug dealers, gun merchants and other nefarious criminal activities. Come inside Operation Oscar Fetters, as the Synthetic Drugs Operations Unit and other cracks teams within the QPS Crime and Intelligence Command take down a multi-million-dollar drug operation, nabbing the culprit only to have him go on the run, sparking a nationwide manhunt. And we’ll reveal the critical importance of  Crimestoppers as a reporting tool and how it helped bring down the empire of this internet drug kingpin on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

We thank the Yuggera people on whose land this episode of Breakthrough was produced.

The Queensland Police Service acknowledges all members, including those attached to the Crime and Intelligence Command, who contributed in some way to the investigation of this case and their ongoing efforts to prevent, disrupt, respond and investigate serious crime.

Special thanks also to the members who have assisted with the production of this podcast episode, including: Assistant Commissioner Katherine Innes APM; Detective Inspector Melissa Anderson BM APM; Detective Senior Sergeant Sasha Finney APM; Detective Sergeant Zoe Knight; Detective Senior Constable Joseph Toohey; Senior Constable Zoe McKee; Sarah Trinne, Maegan Gillespie and the team at Queensland Police Service Media.

Many thanks also to Queensland Health and the team at the ADIS 24/7 Alcohol and Drug Support unit.

Breakthrough is co-produced by Moo Media and the Queensland Police Service.

Writer and host: Matthew Condon.

Producer: Kate Morris.

Audio production: Wasabi Audio.

Qld Crime Stoppers: Crime Stoppers Queensland | Make a Report Today (crimestoppersqld.com.au)

QPS Reporting Page: Policelink - Reporting | QPS

© Queensland Police Service 2024

For eight years one of Queensland’s worst serial sex offenders prowls the suburbs of south-east Queensland, casing granny flats and townhouses, attacking women then disappearing under cover of darkness. He becomes known as the Night Stalker. He targets women alone in their homes and attempts to hide his identity by wearing hoodies and gloves. In one case he even steals his victim’s mobile phone, delaying her call for help. But when police link multiple attacks to the same offender through DNA, the QPS launches Operation Oscar Melya, a massive multi-unit investigation, to bring down this monster.

We thank the Yuggera people on whose land this episode of Breakthrough was produced.

 The Queensland Police Service acknowledges all members, including those attached to the Crime and Intelligence Command, who contributed in some way to the investigation of this case and their ongoing efforts to prevent, disrupt, respond and investigate serious crime.

The QPS is extremely grateful to the brave women and survivors whose stories formed part of this episode. It is through your courage to come forward and report, that the Night Stalker was able to be identified and stopped.

In addition, the QPS acknowledges all members including those attached to Crime and Intelligence Command, and the Brisbane Region and South Eastern Region, who contributed in some way to the investigation of this case and their ongoing efforts to prevent, disrupt, respond and investigate serious crime.

Special thanks to those members who have assisted with the production of this podcast episode, including: Assistant Commissioner Katherine Innes APM; Detective Chief Inspector Melissa Anderson BM APM; Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Mooney; Detective Sergeant Stephanie Witt; Detective Sergeant Fabian Colless; and Sarah Trienne, Maeghan Gillespie and the team at Queensland Police Service Media.

Breakthrough is co-produced by Moo Media and the Queensland Police Service.

Writer and host: Matthew Condon

Producer: Kate Morris

Audio production: Wasabi Audio

Qld Crime Stoppers: Crime Stoppers Queensland | Make a Report Today (crimestoppersqld.com.au)

Stop it Now Australia. Are you concerned about your own thoughts or behaviour or those of another adult or child? There are services than can assist. Contact Stop it now Australia who can provide confidential support to people to learn to manage their thoughts and harmful behaviours. Call the helpline 1800-01-1800 or check out their website which contains self-help resources.

QPS Reporting Page: Policelink - Reporting | QPS

© Queensland Police Service 2023

A lonely Brisbane woman decides to try and meet the love of her life online and hooks up with a young and attractive member of the U.S. military, based in the Middle East. But all is not as it seems. Before she knows it, Wendy Smith has been trapped in a well-organised romance scam and loses a fortune to cyber-criminals. But she soon turns the tables on them with the help of QPS cyber experts who set up a tricky string and manage to pull off a remarkable arrest.

We thank the Yuggera people on whose land this episode of Breakthrough was produced.

 The Queensland Police Service acknowledges all members, including those attached to the Crime and Intelligence Command, who contributed in some way to the investigation of this case and their ongoing efforts to prevent, disrupt, respond and investigate serious crime.

Special thanks to those members who assisted with the production of this podcast episode including: Assistant Commissioner Katherine Innes APM; Detective Inspector Melissa Anderson BM APM; Detective Inspector Vincent Byrnes; Detective Sergeant Brett Weder; Detective Senior Constable Shawn Chia; and Sarah Trienne, Maeghan Gillespie and the team at Queensland Police Service Media.

The QPS also thanks Associate Professor Dr Jacqueline Drew of the Griffith Criminology Institute at Griffith University who has worked in collaboration with QPS across a range of research projects to improve policing responses.

And heartfelt thanks to the pseudonymous “Wendy Smith” who courageously agreed to share her story so that others don’t fall victim.

Breakthrough is co-produced by Moo Media and the Queensland Police Service.

Writer and host: Matthew Condon.

Producer: Kate Morris.

Audio production: Wasabi Audio.

Qld Crime Stoppers: Crime Stoppers Queensland | Make a Report Today (crimestoppersqld.com.au)

In September 2008 a man’s body is discovered on the spillway of the Poona Dam near Nambour on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. A police search of his belongings, however, reveals no identification items, and he has not been reported as a missing person. So who is the man investigators have dubbed Poona Paul? After years of hard work police take a punt on genetic genealogy to try and locate living relatives and get a hit in New Zealand. Come behind the scenes of a painstaking investigation to try and return the dignity to a man who seems to have slipped through the cracks and into anonymity.

Credits: The Queensland Police Service and the Breakthrough team would like to thank: genetic genealogist,Louise Coakley; Forensic Anthropologist and Criminologist, Dr Xanthe Mallett BSc, MPhil(CANTAB) PhD; CeCe Moore, Chief Genetic Genealogist at Parabon NanoLabs, Inc.;  and Poona Paul’s family, Margo Calcott and Jay Alley, for assisting the QPS and being a part of this podcast episode.

The producers would also like to thank all members of the QPS who gave up their valuable time and offered their expertise during the making of this podcast episode.

Breakthrough is co-produced by Moo Media and the Queensland Police Service.

Writer and narrator: Matthew Condon.

Producer: Kate Morris.

Audio production: Wasabi Audio.

© Queensland Police Service 2023

Breakthrough, the official podcast of the Queensland Police Service Crime and Intelligence Command, allows you to peer over the shoulders of real-time investigators and invites you to collaborate on outstanding cases – from missing persons to cold case murders to sexual assault to fraud. You may just be the listener who has information that may be critical in helping police with their next breakthrough.