Accused dark web drug kingpin Cody Ward‘s home, cars and cash seized by NSW Crime Commission
The NSW Crime Commission has seized the home, three cars and more than $100,000 in cash from the man accused of being Australia’s biggest dark web drug dealer who called himself NSWGreat.
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The NSW Crime Commission has seized the home, three cars and more than $100,000 in cash from the man accused of being Australia’s biggest dark web drug dealer.
Supreme Court judge David Davies ordered the possessions be seized by the commission on February 20 after the commission’s lawyer Katie Bourne argued Cody Ronald Ward’s assets were bought with drug money.
Ward was arrested on February 14 at Callala Bay after a nine-month investigation by NSW Police Cyber Crime Unit and was charged with four counts of drug supply, knowingly deal with proceeds of crime, and knowingly participate in criminal group assist crime.
He allegedly sold the drugs on the black market of the internet where people don’t have to disclose their identity, package them up and send them sent through Australia Post to customers.
The day after Ward was arrested NSW Police seized the accounts associated with “NSWGreat” and allegedly $17 million in cryptocurrency.
The Supreme Court decision last week lists the assets including the 25-year-old’s home at 44 Sydney Ave Callala Bay.
He bought the five bedroom, three bathroom and two car garage home in November for $800,000.
A combined $100,000 was found during five raids across, four in Callala Bay and Callala Beach and one in Quakers Hill.
More than $60,000 was found at 151 Queen Mary St, Callala Beach, $15,830 at 1/17 Superb Cres, Callala Bay, $16,000 at 101 Quay Rd, Callala Beach and $14,320 inside the vehicle “occupied by Ward during his arrest”.
Three vehicle were included, a 2002 Mitsubishi Evo 7, 2018 Elf Trailer and 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer.
Police allege Ward sold drugs on the dark web under the pseudonym “NSWGreat”.
“NSWGreat” became infamous online in 2015, when the hacker posted on the online chat forum Reddit that creators of a dark web marketplace were stealing users’ online currency.
He rode the infamy and became a go-to for buying drugs in Australia through the dark web.
Speaking to reporters last August, “NSWGreat” was confident he would remain anonymous and not be caught.
He said he had received subpoenas from international law enforcement including the Department of Homeland Security, Interpol, Europol, FBI, and the Secret Service.
“I’m confident in my ability to stay anonymous as NSWGreat,” he said at the time.
He claimed to live “on a salary similar to that of a CEO with much less work and definitely a lot more enjoyment”.
Two of his co-accused, sisters Shanese, 24, and Patricia Koullias, were also charged with supplying drugs.
Shanese also had her $60,000 2018 Lexus RC350 Coupe and four bank accounts seized by the NSW Crime Commission.
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