Tradie on bail for cocaine supply arrested in dial-a-dealer crackdown

Sydney’s affluent east is so flooded with cocaine, undercover police simply stood on streets and watched for brazen drug hand-offs as part of an operation that led to the arrest of 55 dial-up dealers and their customers. INTERACTIVE MAP

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With bags of cocaine stuffed inside socks and secret compartments in cars, dozens of dial-up dealers — including numerous young women — have been busted allegedly running the drug to users in Sydney’s wealthy eastern suburbs.

Police involved in Operation Northrop have arrested 28 alleged drug suppliers while also charging 27 of their customers who inadvertently showed up to make the deals.

Police located more than 15g of cocaine concealed in sports socks in a Castlefield St arrest.

A woman is led away under arrest in Broadway during the drugs blitz.

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The drug was so prevalent in suburbs such as Paddington, Bondi and Coogee that Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Bell said no sophisticated intelligence or phone hacking was required — undercover police simply stood on the street and watched for their targets.

“It was all on observation and it’s (thanks to) the tremendous work of the young officers who were out there identifying the drug transactions taking place and reacting to what occurred,” Insp Bell said.

“We didn’t use any media platforms, it was just a proactive operation using keen young officers to get out there and target the criminal supplying drugs.

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Two women under arrest near Bondi Rd, Bondi.

Over six nights during May police seized 290g of cocaine, 13g of MDMA, 110g of cannabis and $63,000 in cash.

“These criminal groups and individuals are operating what you would call a dial-a-dealer service, where customers could call a designated number, arrange for cocaine to be delivered to a prearranged location.”

Lakemba tradie Riad Bassal, 19, who was allegedly caught supplying cocaine in Vaucluse in December, was rearrested on May 11 when police allegedly found 15g of cocaine and $1990 cash in a Holden sedan he and another man were travelling in Bondi.

Tradie Riad Bassal, 19, was arrested in Bondi.

Bassal was later denied bail in Waverley Local Court, at least until the case returns on June 5.

A young woman stopped in a white Kia the same night told police, “I don’t really appreciate this” as she was put into a police van in handcuffs.

The officer replied: “you shouldn’t be involved in drug supply, should you?” after police allegedly found $22,000 in cash as well as cocaine and cannabis in the car.

Cash seized by police during the Ocean St North, Bondi, operation.

Two men in their 30s were also allegedly caught with 31g of cocaine, 11g of MDMA, cash and mobile phones when they were pulled over on Ocean Street North in Bondi on May 10.

The dealers and customers who were allegedly netted by the police encompassed a wide range of professions, from a town planner and other corporate types through to the unemployed.

One of the men arrested in Ocean St.

A second man arrested in Ocean St.

Police have seized the phones of the alleged dealers and will trawl the contact lists, with a text message reading, “Your phone number has been located in a cocaine investigation. If you have any information in relation to this please contact (police) or CrimeStoppers” to be sent to their customers.

More than 31g of cocaine and more than 11g of MDMA were found during search.

A woman is arrested and 17g of cocaine and $4200 cash found on Glenmore Rd in Paddington.

Northrop detectives used the same trick after a string of arrests in 2017, resulting in 30 calls to CrimeStoppers and vital intelligence about organised crime syndicates.

Insp Bell said the dealers, most of whom were in their 20s and included several young women, were connected to upstream drug supply syndicates.

Police Minister David Elliott said “the state’s drug dealers have been dealt a major blow”.

“I pay tribute to the more than 100 officers … that have worked together hand in glove to put 55 people under police arrest,” Mr Elliott said.

Officers search the woman’s black BMW.

A woman was arrested in Paddington.

A 21-year-old man is arrested after police stop a vehicle in Coogee.

While police were hopeful the arrests had dented the heaving cocaine economy of Sydney’s east, he said “it is just one step in a war against drugs”.

“But it is a significant one. I can’t remember the last time police have been able to say they arrested 55 people in such a short period of time, it is a worthy celebration for our law enforcement.”

DRUG CAMPAIGNS ‘NORMALISING’ USE WITH WRONG SELL

Cocaine use is being “normalised” by education campaigns pushing “harm minimisation” instead of simply telling vulnerable people there is no safe way to use drugs, according to a former top cop who argues it’s time for the federal government to step in and tackle the issue.

And the growing use of illicit drugs is being compounded by appalling cases of “totally chilled” wealthy parents suppling cocaine to their teen children in the belief they are “cool parents” and the drug is not harmful.

Former NSW Police officer and community campaigner Pat Daley says drug use is rampant and the official harm minimisation approach was sending the wrong message.

“This wishy-washy approach, with people pushing for pill testing, is not working,” he said. “We’re sending out mixed messages on drugs.

“Harm minimisation has been sending a message you can do drugs, but just be careful. Cocaine is rampant.

“We need to call it out.”

Mr Daley, who has worked on drug advisory boards, said the Howard government’s zero tolerance approach had been successful in cutting heroin use, and the newly installed Morrison Coalition government needed to follow suit.

“We must hold the line and call it out and stop using the phrases ‘party drug’ and ‘recreational drugs’,” Mr Daley said.

“We need a simple message. No safe way to use drugs.

Dr Justin Coulson says there are pockets of cocaine use among school students. Picture: Mark Cranitch

“It’s time now for the federal government to take a stand on this, call on the states to push back against pill testing and take a much stronger and organised approach,” he said.

Daily Telegraph parenting expert and author Dr Justin Coulson said while the drug cocaine was rarely used by Australian students, there were pockets of use.

“If you are from a family where these things are done, it’s just not as big a deal,” he said. “Some parents are not just supplying alcohol to kids, but are sitting down and doing lines with them.

“In too many cases parents are ... supplying or, in extreme cases, doing it with them.

“Because the parents believe they are high functioning, highly successful and say, ‘It’s not hurting me and if I supply this to the kids and show them how to do it, then I’m the cool parent’.”

He has come across a case of a wealthy NSW family where the parents supplied cocaine to a 15-year-old child, who ended up in rehab at 17.

Professor of Emergency Medicine Gordian Fulde said cocaine use “was everywhere”.

“There are certainly medical consequences to taking cocaine,” he said. “It puts a strain on the heart, raises blood pressure, makes everything race, including your brain, and increases the risk of stroke.”