Raptor Squad have charged three people allegedly involved in a sophisticated dial-a-dealer drug ring running out of western Sydney – including in Parramatta.
Strike Force Winnicoopa was established by State Crime Command’s Raptor Squad in November 2023 to investigate the supply of cocaine by a high-profile Organised Criminal Network (OCN) using the dial-a-dealer method.
Detectives have identified three key members of the OCN allegedly responsible for running the drugs, and about 1.30pm on Monday, March 18, executed three search warrants in Bass Hill and Parramatta.
At a Bass Hill address, police arrested a 22-year-old man. He was taken to Bankstown Police Station, where he was charged with 13 offences, including:
- ‘Five counts of supply prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis’
- ‘Two counts of deal with property proceeds of crime < $100000’
- ‘Supply prohibited drug >= commercial quantity’
- ‘Supply prohibited drug >indictable and <commercial quantity’
- ‘Participate criminal group’
- ‘Knowingly deal with proceeds of crime’
- ‘Possess/attempt to, prescribed restricted substance’
- ‘Possess prohibited drug’
The man was refused bail to appear before Bankstown Local Court today (Tuesday, March 19).
At the Parramatta address police arrested two men, aged 24 and 26.
They were taken to Granville Police Station where both men were charged with seven offences including five counts of ‘supply prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis’, ‘supply prohibited drug >indictable & <commercial quantity’, and ‘participate criminal group contribute criminal’.
They were granted strict conditional bail to appear in Parramatta Local Court on Thursday, April 11.
During the search warrants, police seized three vehicles, multiple mobile phones, approximately $10,000 worth of luxury and designer goods, over $2000 cash and other items relevant to their investigation.
Police will allege in court the syndicate were responsible for selling approximately 500 ‘bags’ of cocaine a week, generating approximately $5 million a year.
Investigations under Strike Force Winnicoopa continue.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.