Alleged ‘director’ of Illawarra MDMA ring Matthew Purches makes bail bid
The alleged “director” of a major drug supply operation thwarted by police in the Illawarra produced nearly 10kg of MDMA caps, a court has heard.
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The alleged “director” of a major drug supply operation thwarted by police in the Illawarra produced nearly 10kg of MDMA caps, a court has heard.
Matthew Joel Purches was allegedly monitored by police for months prior to his arrest in June with investigators intercepting communications between him and other people accused of being in the criminal group.
Purches, 35, applied for bail in Wollongong Local Court on Friday after previously being denied conditional release after he was arrested.
The Albion Park father of two is charged with 15 offences including three counts of supplying a large commercial quantity of drugs, manufacturing a large commercial quantity of drugs and directing a criminal group.
The other charges include four counts of supplying a prohibited drug, two counts of dealing with proceeds of crime, possessing drug manufacturing apparatuses, owning a premises while knowingly allowing it to be used as a drug premises, possessing ammunition with a permit and failing to comply with a digital evidence access order.
Documents tendered in court state police began monitoring Purches and other co-accuseds for months with intercepted messages showing them discussing producing and distributing MDMA.
The court heard police surveyed Purches allegedly going to multiple stores including Harvey Norman, Bunnings and Total Tools to purchase items to manufacture the illegal drug.
The documents state police monitored him at various locations including warehouses in Berkeley and Yallah.
At the latter, it is alleged police captured covert footage of Purches writing a formula for manufacturing nearly 15,000 MDMA tablets on a piece of cardboard.
Documents state while the alleged criminal offending was taking place, Purches and a co-accused travelled first class to the US to watch to 2024 NFL Super Bowl.
Purches was arrested on June 5 at his abode on Upland Chase at Albion Park. Police allegedly seized 85g of coke, 102g of MDMA, ammunition, hard drives, a replica pistol, $62,590, bank cards and a Ford Ranger Raptor ute.
In total, police allege Purches played a role in producing 9.9kg and supplying nearly 3.4kg of MDMA.
During the bail application on Friday, Purches’ lawyer Matthew Ward conceded if found guilty of any of the large commercial drug supply charges his clients would be sentenced to full-time custody.
Mr Ward submitted there were elements of the prosecution’s case which needed to be reviewed regarding his client’s “knowledge and involvement”.
The lawyer went on to describe there was a “tenuous link” between Purches and the large commercial supply charge relating to 1.6kg of MDMA.
Magistrate Paul Lyon rebutted the accused’s phone was “running red hot” with police monitoring calls about the alleged offending.
Police prosecutor Zane Barron opposed bail stating even if Purches – who he described as the operation’s “director” – was placed under house arrest and forced to surrender his phone he could “go down to the shop and buy a phone or computer”.
The magistrate refused bail citing the risks police put forward of further offending and failing to appear.
The matter will return to court later this month.
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