Prosecutors successfully apply to freeze more than $40m in assets linked to Operation Ironside drug accused

More than 60 houses, millions in cash, luxury cars and $100,000 watches belonging to Operation Ironside accused have been frozen. See the complete list of seized assets.

More than $40m worth of assets belonging to alleged drug traffickers and gang members have been frozen by the courts as the battle against criminal assets linked to Operation Ironside continues to wage.

In recent months, a commercial property in the western suburbs was frozen by the Supreme Court, as well as cars and motorbikes.

Legally owned and registered firearms have also been seized and restrained by the court.

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Vehicles seized as part of Operation Ironside. Picture: SAPOL

Arrests have slowed down in recent months as many of the accused are arraigned in the District and Supreme courts ahead of trials.

The freezing of the assets has put pressure on the legal teams representing the accused who are left asking for government-funded legal aid, in some cases while millions in assets remain frozen by the Crown.

The Crown is allowed to release certain amounts of money to accused with restrained assets to fund “reasonable living expenses”.

However, that does not extend to legal costs – leaving accused scraping around for the money required to pay the high priced silks and expensive legal teams.

Many of the accused risk losing life savings and family homes if convicted of drug dealing.

The prosecution have not been successful in every case. In 2021, prosecutors released more than $800,000 held in a bank account co-owned by an alleged drug trafficker and his elderly mother.

Pictures of cash that were sent over the AN0M app. Picture: SA Supreme Court.

One of several watches that have been seized linked to people charged over the Operation Ironside police sting. Picture: SA Police

The court was satisfied that the funds belonged primarily to the mother and were released back to her.

Her son remains in custody charged with large scale drug trafficking.

Accused drug traffickers also won the right to remain silent when questioned about their property.

The Supreme Court overturned earlier orders it had made requiring accused to list their assets – in part out of a concern that not all property had been located and seized.

Property restraint does not mean a person is not allowed to live in their home. The court instead places a series of requirements, including not to decrease the value of the home, sell it or take out a mortgage without the court’s express permission.

The civil cases linked to these assets have all been adjourned until after the culmination of the Operation Ironside trials, which are scheduled to start in 2024 and run for several years.