Operation Dryad: Golden Grove business mogul says he ‘hardly knows’ co-accused Gawler barber owners

A Golden Grove business mogul is a virtual stranger to the men with whom he allegedly ran a huge drug syndicate – including from one of his storage facilities – a court has heard.

One of three men charged over a mammoth drug bust in December has told a court he “hardly knows” his two co-accused while asking for freedom to tend to his business empire.

In one of his businesses, the Adelaide Magistrates Court heard, a police raid turned up almost 200kg of dried cannabis stashed in a van.

But Golden Grove man Steven Saheed Jadon told the court through his barrister that part of his business was a storage facility merely being rented out by one of the co-accused, Nicholas Rehmann.

Mr Jadon and Mr Rehmann are charged alongside Matthew Newall over an alleged interstate drug syndicate, which police alleged they tracked for almost 12 months before an extensive raid late last year.

The fresh details of the investigation, dubbed Operation Dryad by SA Police, were heard as Mr Jadon appealed to Magistrate Michelle Sutcliffe to have his bail conditions relaxed.

Steven Jadon and co-accused Matt Newall at Mr Jadon's wedding in 2015. Picture: Facebook

He was doing so in the hope he could tend to his businesses – including the storage facility where the cannabis was found.

Scott Henchliffe KC, for Mr Jadon, told the court his client had amassed a six-business-strong empire, which included a stake in three gyms as well as insulation and transport companies under the name TRIIIA Pty Ltd.

Mr Jadon’s storage facility at 61 Greenwith Rd at Golden Grove was raided by police on December 13 and found to hold 189kg of dried cannabis in a van.

Mr Henchliffe, however, told the court his client had merely been “caught in something that is not his making”, and the Greenwith Rd business was comprised of areas Mr Jadon rented out.

One of those areas – in which the bounty of cannabis was found – was rented to Mr Rehmann, the court heard.

Mr Henchliffe said the police investigation into Mr Rehmann and Mr Newall led them to the Greenwith business and Mr Jadon had no knowledge of what was in some areas of the facility.

Nick Rehmann at Steven Jadon's wedding in 2015. Picture: Facebook

200kg of dried cannabis worth $1m was seized during raids of 13 Adelaide properties. Picture: SAPOL

So little was Mr Jadon’s knowledge, Mr Henchliffe said, it extended to “hardly knowing” Mr Rehmann.

“He hardly knows them,” Mr Henchliffe said of Mr Rehmann and Mr Newall.

Police opposed the relaxation of Mr Jadon’s home detention, but Ms Sutcliffe disagreed, allowing him to have his ankle monitor removed and approving him for supervised bail.

During the December raids, police arrested and charged the trio, as well as 32-year-old Redwood Park man Daniel Flynn, 34-year-old Paralowie personal training couple Josh and Sheryn Armstrong and 41-year-old Highbury man Andrew James Mather and another 31-year-old Surrey Downs man.

They also seized luxury cars, cash and $1m worth of drugs.

Mr Jadon’s $246,000 Mercedes G-Wagon, jetski, nine cars used for his business and four of his properties were restrained in the process.

Sheryn and Josh Armstrong have been charged over the alleged drug bust. Picture: Facebook

Andrew Mather faces charges of cultivating more than a prescribed quantity of cannabis plants, possessing prescribed equipment and diverting electricity stemming from Operation Dryad. Picture: Facebook

The District Court is mulling a decision on whether to release these back to Mr Jadon.

He was charged with two counts of money laundering, trafficking in a commercial quantity of drugs, two of diverting electricity from a power system and one of possessing prescribed equipment.

Mr Rehmann had his 2007 Maserati, 2012 Mercedes Benz wagon, 2020 Ford ute and Gawler East home seized.

Police have alleged Mr Newall was the “treasurer” of the syndicate.

Documents released to The Advertiser have shown police alleged Operation Dryad kicked off after they intercepted a package of disguised money destined for a North Haven house in February last year.

From then until the raids, $1.2m was allegedly sent to the North Haven house, Mr Newall’s home.

Mr Newall, who owns several popular businesses himself, was subsequently charged with 30 counts of money laundering, three of trafficking a commercial quantity of drugs, and three of growing cannabis crops.

Mr Rehmann, who was a business partner with Mr Newall in popular hairdresser Lagers and Barbers, has been charged with two counts of trafficking a commercial quantity of drugs and four of cultivating cannabis plants.

The trio will next face court in April.