Catherine Horton (Queensland Police, Australia) 2015 Award of Merit winner pictured with Australasian Branch President, John Hambridge.

Operation Kilo Zurich focused on suspected vehicle re-birthing and drug trafficking syndicates operating in the Gold Coast Districts of Queensland, Australia. The investigation extended across Australia with the South East Queensland Police, New South Wales Police, the Victoria Police, The Crime and Corruption Commission, The Australian Federal Police and the New Zealand Department of Transportation joining in.

An employee of the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads was caught legitimizing stolen vehicles with new registrations.

Ultimately 12 people were charged with 106 vehicle related offences and 28 vehicles were recovered worth a value of $1,300,000. An additional $14,888,000 in stolen property was recovered and $10,071,450 in criminal assets and proceeds were seized. A drug trafficking syndicate was also identified and targeted. This included 36 persons charged with 138 offences. The Queensland Police Service performed an outstanding job of bringing a multi-jurisdictional investigation to a successful conclusion. Without the cooperation of all of these agencies, the suppression of these criminal syndicates would not have been possible. 

Det Senior Constable Catherine Horton was one of the principal investigators for Operation Kilo Zurich.