An eastern suburbs man has been arrested following investigations into an international ‘dark web’ drug importation ring yesterday.
Detectives from Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command commenced Strike Force Bergmark in February this year to investigate the syndicate, which police suspected was importing illicit drugs from Europe to Australia via postal services.
With the assistance of Australian Border Force, Australian Federal Police and other interstate policing jurisdictions; several dozen suspicious packages were tracked and intercepted arriving into New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia from January this year.
An eastern suburbs man has been arrested following investigations into an international ‘dark web’ drug importation ring yesterday
Police will allege in court these packages contained ketamine, MDMA and cocaine.
At about 10.30am on Thursday, strike force investigators arrested a 33-year-old man on Diamond Bay Road, Vaucluse.
Police will allege the man is the head of the Australian arm of the syndicate and distributed illicit drug packages across Australia.
At about 10.30am on Thursday, strike force investigators arrested a 33-year-old man on Diamond Bay Road, Vaucluse
Detectives from Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command commenced Strike Force Bergmark in February this year to investigate the syndicate
A search warrant involving strike force detectives, tactical officers from Operation Odin and other investigators from State Crime Command’s Cybercrime Squad, was executed a short time later at a unit on Diamond Bay Road, Vaucluse.
Officers seized cocaine, computers, mobile phones, a diamond ring, $70,000 cash and $350,000 worth of cryptocurrency. All items were secured for forensic analysis.
The man was taken to Waverley Police Station and charged with 45 counts of import commercial quantities of border controlled drugs, supply commercial quantity of prohibited drugs, direct a criminal group and recklessly deal in proceeds of crime.
A search warrant involving strike force detectives, tactical officers from Operation Odin and other investigators from State Crime Command’s Cybercrime Squad, was executed
He was refused bail to appear at Waverley Local Court today (Friday 8 June 2018).
A second search warrant was later executed at a financial institution in the city and documents were seized.
The man’s arrest follows an arrest in May in which a 33-year-old Bondi man was also charged with two counts of commercial quantity drug supply and indictable quantity drug supply.
The man was taken to Waverley Police Station and charged with 45 counts of import commercial quantities of border controlled drugs, supply commercial quantity of prohibited drugs, direct a criminal group and recklessly deal in proceeds of crime
That man is now before the courts.
During the investigation, police seized over half a kilogram of cocaine, over five litres of liquid MDMA, over six kilograms of MDMA (‘Ecstasy’) pills, over a kilogram of ketamine, over 800 grams of MDMA rock, and over half a kilogram of methylamphetamine.
The prohibited drugs have estimated potential street value over $1.5 million dollars.
Inquiries are continuing.
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