Milo Cardwell, Cristian Carbone, Omar Eid, face court after drug raids
A Bondi plumber and a Hungarian national were among eight people who appeared before the courts on drug charges following police raids earlier this week. Prosecutors laid out the allegations against the various members of the group which police have described as being a major drugs syndicate.
Central Sydney
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Eight people have appeared before the courts following police raids earlier this week.
Cops raided homes across the city’s inner suburbs and arrested 13 men and three women.
They also say they seized nearly 3kg of MDMA, 400g of cocaine, 654g of ketamine, 188 LSD tabs, and 290g of magic mushrooms (psilocybin) along with $620,000 in cash, a pistol and a sawn-off shotgun.
Three alleged members of the drug syndicate appeared before Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday.
Omar Eid, 43, from Bronte, appeared via audio visual link after he was allegedly found in possession of a shortened firearm, drugs and cash, the court heard.
His lawyer told the court he had grown up on a farm and that could help explain the firearm.
His lawyer also claimed there was no evidence of a syndicate and Eid did not pose a risk of interfering with other co-accused or witnesses.
However, the prosecutor alleged the firearm possession indicated that “part of this gang’s activities would be violence to maintain their drug activities”.
The prosecutor also said that Eid’s alleged possession of a firearm, drugs and cash could indicate his playing a crucial role within the syndicate.
Magistrate Megan Greenwood refused him bail.
Eid has been charged with a long list of charges including deal with property proceeds of crime, supply prohibited drug (indictable quantity), possess unauthorised firearm, not keep firearm safely (pistol), not keep firearm safely (prohibited firearm).
Jihad Alhroot, 29, from Chippendale, also appeared briefly in the same court but did not apply for bail.
He has been charged with knowingly deal with proceeds of crime, three counts of supply prohibited drug (indictable quantity), and possess prohibited drug.
Meanwhile, Zsolt Nagy, 41, from Botany, successfully applied for bail on Thursday.
The same court heard that police allegedly found 52g of magic mushrooms which Nagy allegedly told police was for his personal use.
“He was found with what is prominently described as magic mushrooms,” his lawyer said.
“(The police strike force) was targeting MDMA and ketamine and cocaine and that was not what Nagy had.”
Nagy, who formerly worked in sales but has been unemployed since the COVID-19 pandemic, has no previous criminal history and has lived in Australia for 16 years since moving from Hungary, the court heard.
Magistrate Greenwood stated it was a strong case and a custodial sentence was likely. However, she granted Nagy bail with strict conditions after considering the length of time he could spend on remand if refused bail.
He is facing one charge of supply prohibited drug (commercial quantity).
Over in the city’s east, four men appeared before Waverley Court on Thursday.
Former Rose Bay Secondary College student Milo Cardwell, 20, was collected from Waverley Police Station by his parents after being granted bail
The young Bondi plumber was allegedly caught dealing drugs out of a Maroubra address.
The court heard when police searched his Maroubra apartment on a warrant, various drugs were found in and around the property.
He was arrested and charged with supplying an indictable quantity of ketamine, and two counts of possessing a prohibited drug, related to MDMA and cannabis resin.
He was also charged with two counts of possessing or attempting to possess a prescribed restricted substance, for amounts of trenbolone and testosterone discovered.
No pleas were entered in court but a prosecutor told the court Cardwell made admissions to police, which were adopted in a formal document of evidence.
The young plumber was released on bail after his family agreed to offer up a $5000 surety.
He will be required to live at their Rose Bay home and report to Bondi Police Station three times a week.
He will return to court on August 19 to enter a plea.
His flatmate, Andrea Read Rodrigues, 20, also appeared at Waverley Court on drug possession charges.
A lawyer for Read Rodrigues said the two men were not co-accused, stating there was nothing in the facts to link his client to the criminal drug activity.
“I dare say he knows who they (the co-accused) are… (he’s) in the bedroom next door,” Magistrate Hudson replied.
Read Rodrigues was charged with the deemed supply of an indictable quantity of a prohibited drug, related to 156 grams of ketamine.
The court heard, when police arrived, he was allegedly found alone in his bedroom with the drugs, including plastic freezer bags containing a white powder.
Police also allegedly discovered an iPhone on his bed, which he refused to unlock when asked to by police, the court heard.
Read Rodrigues was also charged with dealing with the proceeds of crime, to the amount of $5000, which he claimed was a recent superannuation withdrawal and not linked with the drugs.
His lawyer argued it was not his problem what was going on with the other men in the flat.
Read Rodrigues was granted conditional bail to reside in house arrest-like conditions at his mother’s South Coogee property.
Magistrate Hudson ordered him not to consume any illegal drugs, not possess a mobile phone and put up a $5000 surety.
The case of Noam Field, 40, from Dover Heights, was also heard at Waverley.
Field was arrested at North Bondi on Wednesday on allegations he supplied 1482 grams of MDMA, the deemed supply of 2082 grams of MDMA, and dealing with $470,120 in proceeds of crime.
He was charged with 21 offences including three counts of supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, seven counts of supply a large commercial quantity of prohibited drug, eight counts of supply an indictable quantity of a prohibited drug, two counts of supply prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis and knowingly deal with the proceeds of crime.
The supply charges also included 2.7 grams of lysergic acid and 49 grams of psilocybin.
He did not apply for bail.
The case of Patrick Hanly, 33, was also heard at Waverley.
He did not apply for bail after being charged with manufacturing a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.
It is alleged he made 181 grams of psilocybin.
He is back before the court on August 7.
Over at Burwood Local Court one of the women charged as part of the investigation showed little emotion as she made her first appearance.
Helen Maree Donovan, 46, was arrested in Earlwood on Wednesday morning and spent the night behind bars after she was charged with 17 drug offences, including supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.
Police allege Ms Donovan had 3.65 grams of LSD, as well cocaine, MDMA, cannabis, amphetamines and ketamine in her possession.
Police also allege Ms Donovan had a slew of prescription medications, including 253 Valium tablets and 10 oxycodone tablets.
Police say they also found $65,000, and Ms Donovan was charged with dealing with proceeds of a crime along with her charges for possessing and supplying drugs.
The alleged drug dealer appeared in the dock at Burwood Local Court sporting a red and blonde mullet and wore a black hoodie.
Ms Donovan, who represented herself in court, chose not to apply for bail and was returned to custody.
She will return to court September 23.
Several other people charged by investigating police are also due to appear before the courts in the coming weeks.
On Friday morning police revealed two more people had been charged in connection to the raids.
Cristian Carbon, 34, was arrested at Chippendale and charged with supply prohibited drug (large commercial quantity), three counts of supply prohibited drug (indictable quantity), supply prohibited drug and knowingly deal with proceeds of crime.
He was refused bail to appear at Central Local Court on Friday.
However, Carbon did not appear before the court due to COVID-19 fears.
He will appear again on August 4.
A 35-year-old man was arrested at the Zetland unit and charged with five counts of possess prohibited drug, two counts of supply prohibited drug (indictable quantity) and deal with property proceeds of crime.
He was granted strict conditional bail to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on August 20.