Operation Ironside: Luke Andreou locked up for drug, weapons offences after AN0M bust
An Illawarra man has been sent behind bars after an Operation Ironside raid uncovered weapons, drugs and more than $200,000 cash in his home.
Illawarra Star
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A Horsley bikie associate busted with more than $230,000 of dirty money as well as prohibited weapons, drugs and NSW Police gear will be behind bars until at least 2025.
The Australian Federal Police raided Luke Andreou‘s home in June last year as part of the high-profile Operation Ironside.
Gel blasters, fireworks, prohibited drugs including testosterone and cocaine, wads of cash, $55,000 worth of gold and silver and a NSW Police cap and vest were seized from his home.
Police also unearthed a mobile phone logged into the encrypted messaging service AN0M – an app covertly cooked up by the FBI.
Andreou, 33, walked into Wollongong District Court on Friday to find out his fate following previous guilty pleas to two counts of dealing with the proceeds of crime (more than $100,000), two counts of possessing a prohibited drug, two counts of possessing a prohibited firearm, two counts of possessing a prohibited weapon, possessing police war, supplying an indictable quantity of a prohibited drug and supplying a prohibited firearm.
The court documents said investigators were able to scour through the former wheel repairer and spray painter‘s AN0M account where he went by the username “BDI”.
They found images he sent to “Icebox” in June, 2020, of the NSW Police cap as well as a high-vis vest, two epaulets and two shoulder patches.
“Snr constable vdi plz do not talk back at any time when speaking to you or I‘ll take your wallet and keys ya dogs (sic),” Andreou wrote.
“If you want this prestigious outfit it‘s all yours.”
The investigators also uncovered messages with “Rumpy” from March and April this year regarding the $25,000 sale of a pump-action shotgun.
The pair agreed to test out the firearm “at the back or Horsley or near Kembla Grange” with Rumpy seemingly impressed by its power.
“F*** no flame balls for days,” said one message.
“Yeah sweet bra I‘ll get them tomorrow.”
The whereabouts of the pump-action shotgun and the real identity of Rumpy “remains a mystery.
The court heard on Friday Andreou “associated with bikies” and tried to “minimise his actions” when he was caught.
Judge Julia Baly said the photos of the bundles of cash “stood out” and rejected Andreou‘s notion he had the money due to his Greek ”cultural upbringing of not putting money in the bank”.
Justice Baly identified the supplying a prohibited firearm as the most serious offence – one that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
She indicated while the weapon was not located, the messages regarding testing it out and Andreou putting a price tag on it was evidence of the transaction.
Justice Baly said Andreou had shown “some remorse, but it was limited” when sentencing him to five years behind bars with a non-parole period of three years.
Andreou will be eligible for parole in September, 2025.
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