$1m worth of drugs seized, 13 arrested during major operation

13 alleged drug dealers, including 11 foreign nationals have been arrested during a major drug supply crackdown across Sydney’s inner-city which saw almost $1m worth of drugs including MDMA and cocaine seized.

Police have seized almost $1m worth of drugs as they crack down on backpackers and tourists trying to make an easy dollar.

Sydney police arrested 13 alleged drug dealers, 11 of them foreign nationals, following a lengthy investigation into the inner city drugs trade.

They seized half a kilo of powdered MDMA, 10 grams of GHB, 18 grams of LSD, 74 grams of ketamine, six grams of “magic” mushrooms, almost 1.5kg of cocaine and 500 prescription tablets.

Two men were arrested at a hostel in Potts Point on Friday.

13 people have been arrested in total after police seized $1m worth of drugs during the operation.

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The haul has an estimated street value of $950,000.

Two men were arrested on Friday night to finish the operation.

A 28-year-old French man and a 23-year-old Irish man were arrested at a backpacker hostel in Potts Point in relation to the supply of MDMA.

The seizures included half a kilogram of MDMA, 18 grams of LSD and almost 500 prescription tablets.

The Frenchman faces a slew of drug offence charges including supply commercial quality of a prohibited drug, seven counts of supply indictable quantity of prohibited drugs.

The Irishman was charged with knowingly taking part in the supply of an indictable quantity of a prohibited drug.

Detective Superintendent Gavin Wood said the group of tourists were not working as part of a larger operation.

1.5 kilograms of cannabis was also seized.

Police said the crackdown sent a strong message to foreign street-level drug dealers.

“Out of the 13 arrested, they were all working independently and not as a collective,” he said.

“Out of those 13, 11 were here on temporary visas. There was no specific pattern on how they work.”

Officers will allege the dealers operated in bars and clubs on Oxford St.