Warrnambool police to launch Dob in a Dealer campaign this September 2023

Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Asenjo said there'd been an increase in people overdosing, being admitted to hospital and intensive care units, and facing health complications in the police station cells after consuming the drug prior to an arrest.

"Police across the state are finding people who use methamphetamine and other drugs may go on and commit other crimes, whereas people using GHB are actually dying," he said.

Detective Senior Sergeant Asenjo and Detective Acting Sergeant Joe Fisher are urging residents to report the manufacturing, sale and use of GHB and other drugs in the south-west.

It's part of the Dob in a Dealer campaign which will run for all of September and allow anonymous tip-offs to be made to police and Crime Stoppers.

Detective Acting Sergeant Fisher said blocked-out windows or a neighbour who rarely puts their bins out for collection could be telltale signs of drug dealing that the city's divisional response tasking unit wanted to hear about.

"You might sees cars coming going at strange hours of the night, lots of visitors or a neighbour repeatedly going to and from cars," he said.

"Drug paraphernalia might be sighted - syringes or empty deal bags being left around - or there might be blacked-out windows or smells coming from next door.

"We want to hear about it."

Detective Senior Sergeant Asenjo said illicit drugs contributed to "a whole gamut of crime".

"It's a huge issue in the family violence space, as well as road policing where a lot of road trauma is being caused by people consuming drugs, causing considerable community harm," he said.

"We'll be running a strategy for the next month where members of the community can get in touch with us. Victoria Police can't do it alone and even the smallest bit of information helps.

"It could be your neighbour's suspicious behaviour or drug trafficking in night clubs and bars, we're throwing the doors open to the public to get in contact with Crime Stoppers or police and provide information that we can then act on."

The Dob in a Dealer campaign started with former Warrnambool police officer Shane Keogh in 2013 and has since grown to be an nation-wide program funded by the federal government.

Detective Senior Sergeant Asenjo said there'd been "significant positive outcomes" in the past with the campaign leading to search warrants, arrests, cover police operations and large quantities of drugs being seized.

"We do know a lot of trafficking involves people with dependencies who are supporting their own habit, there's not a huge commercial gain in this part of the world, so it's also about referring services to help these people get the help they need," he said.

Anyone with any information can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 for a confidential conversation, report securely online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au or download the Crime Stoppers app.

People are asked to reference the Dob in a Dealer campaign during their report.

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