Erin Gold and Ryan Suri-Tucker, accused over drug syndicate operating on the dark web, refused bail

A man and woman charged over a $25k-a-day, drug syndicate on the dark web are behind bars because of “temptation to tamper with evidence”.

A man and woman alleged to be part of a drug trafficking operation on the dark web that pulled in $25,000 per day have been denied bail after a court heard of a potential “temptation to tamper with evidence”.

Ryan Suri-Tucker, 24, and Erin Gold, 32, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with multiple serious drug and money laundering offences.

Their co-accused, former police officer and Ms Gold’s partner, Thomas Booker, 27, was not present.

Opposing their release, Sergeant Kevin Dollard, prosecuting, said the operation was uncovered when border officials found 8000 LSD tablets imported from Luxembourg in March 2021. The consignment first led officers to a Marleston post office box and a phone number under a false named linked to Mr Booker.

They then found the trio were allegedly operating a cryptocurrency-based drug dealing syndicate on the dark web, using the name “Underline Cost”.

Tom Booker and Erin Gold are charged over a dark web drug dealing syndicate.

When police raided Mr Suri-Tucker’s King’s Park home in November, they allegedly found the two men at a desk piled with drugs in front of a computer logged into their dark-web account.

“Drugs seized at that location were commercial quantities of LSD and trafficable quantities of cocaine, cannabis and MDMA. These were all on the table in front of them,” Mr Dollard said.

He said police seized hundreds of thousands in cryptocurrency including in a type “solely used in criminality”. The court has previously heard more than $1m in cash was seized, including $350,000 inside a safe at Mr Booker and Ms Gold’s home.

About $1000 in cryptocurrency was found on Mr Suri-Tucker’s phone, while his fingerprints were also alleged to have been found inside some of the packages.

Ms Gold allegedly had a cryptocurrency code sent between her personal and work emails and about $5000 in gift cards in her handbag.

Mr Dollard said Ms Gold “must have known” what was going on in the home she shared with Mr Booker.

Ryan Suri-Tucker.

He said, if released, the pair could access funds from any cryptocurrency accounts investigators were yet to find, while their knowledge of the dark web could aid them in creating false identities to abscond.

Anthony Allen QC, for Mr Suri-Tucker said the “allegations point away” from his client being the principal offender and his presence with Mr Booker at the time of his arrest was “not enough for the charges to be made out”.

Taylor Johanson, for Ms Gold, said her client’s only link to the offending was that she was in a relationship with Mr Booker at the time.

“Ms Gold has been drawn into this offending … through some misguided trust she has placed in other people,” she said.

Magistrate Brett Dixon refused bail, saying he was “greatly concerned with the risk of tampering with evidence or accessing proceeds that are outstanding in relation to these matters should either defendant be released on bail”.

“Clearly the temptation to tamper with evidence or access funds would be strong, as would the temptation to abscond given the likely penalty that would be imposed on a finding of guilt in these matters,” he said.

The case returns to court in May.