Helena Carevic sentenced for supplying drugs as runner for Sydney dial-a-dealer syndicate

A Sydney woman with a $2000-a-week cocaine addiction supplied for a sophisticated drug ring curiously named “Nick” that operated a call centre and runners. Here’s how she was lured in.

Helena Carevic pleaded guilty to supplying drugs, participating in a criminal group and dealing with the proceeds of crime. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A south Sydney woman has avoided jail after she developed a $2000-a-week cocaine addiction and funded her habit by delivering drugs as part of a “sophisticated” dial-a-dealer syndicate.

Helena Inga Carevic, 36, pleaded guilty to supplying drugs, participating in a criminal group and dealing with the proceeds of crime.

She was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court on Wednesday.

Police began investigating a dial-a-dealer syndicate, named “Nick”, that supplied cocaine across Sydney, police state in agreed facts tendered to the court.

The syndicate operated a “call centre” and customers placed orders via mobile phone.

The order would then relay the quantity, time and location for delivery to a runner, who would then deliver and take payment.

Helena Carevic outside Sutherland Local Court. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

The runner would then give money to higher-up member of the syndicate and a “reloader” would provide runners with more drugs if and when required, police state.

A strike force investigation identified Carevic was a runner for the group, which sold cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy), in November 2022.

Documents state about 0.46g of cocaine was sold by the bag costing $250 and $300;, while a bag of MDMA cost $200 for about 0.4g.

Carevic, who lives at Miranda, was detected making 74 transactions and supplying 121 bags of cocaine weighing 55.6g and MDMA weighing about 2g between November 3 and May 19 last year.

Police intercepted phones and used physical surveillance to determine Carevic made a dozen cocaine deliveries to customers at Darlinghurst, Elanora Heights, North Sydney, Wynyard, Pyrmont, Bellevue Hill and Bondi on February 9.

On March 16, Carevic delivered four bags of cocaine and one bag of MDMA to customers at Waterloo and Botany before she drove to Homebush where she “reloaded”.

Sutherland Local Court

She was again observed receiving drugs for deliveries on April 7, 8 and 13.

On May 13 police arrested a man carrying 15 bags on him as he approached Carevic’s car at Caringbah, the documents state.

When they searched Carevic’s car, police found three bags of MDMA and six bags of cocaine in two mint containers, along with $5950 of cash in an envelope.

Carevic made admissions to police following her arrest and told officers she began using cocaine in June last year, following the death of her grandmother.

She told police she purchased drugs from the syndicate, became hooked and struggled to fund her habit by September.

Carevic said she was approached by a member of the syndicate to be a runner.

She worked for the syndicate two to three times a week and received monetary payments or drugs in exchange.

Carevic had no prior criminal record before the offending.

The court heard she had a supportive family, a partner and was employed full-time.

Carevic used to spend $1000 to $2000 a week on cocaine prior to her arrest – but the court heard she had since abstained.

Magistrate Philip Stewart accepted Carevic began treatment for her addiction and continued to see a psychiatrist.

He said Carevic’s role was the “lowest in the hierarchy of a sophisticated syndicate that involved multiple runners”.

Mr Stewart sentenced Carevic to a 21-month intensive correction order served in the community so she could continue her rehabilitation.

Carevic was ordered to complete 140 hours of community work, abstain from drugs and continue treatment.

Originally published as Helena Carevic sentenced for supplying drugs as runner for Sydney dial-a-dealer syndicate