Cocaine hotspots across NSW revealed

It’s a highly addictive drug infiltrating suburbs across the state. Now, we can lift the lid on the NSW areas where cocaine use, possession and dealing is rife.

Cocaine use in NSW remains high across the state, but the rate of people being caught with the highly addictive drug has taken a slight downturn according to crime records.

Data from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) shows 114,380 people were caught using or possessing cocaine across the state between 2020 and 2024, with the number peaking at 2652 in 2022.

It then decreased to 2279 in 2023, and again to 2022 in 2024.

The Sydney LGA recorded the highest number across those five years at 3075, followed by Waverley at 844 and then Randwick at 535.

Meanwhile, more than 6039 people have been caught wheeling and dealing cocaine across NSW over the last five years, with numbers peaking in 2021 at 1428.

This number then dropped to 1317 in 2022, 1036 in 2023 and 997 in 2024.

The Sydney LGA recorded the highest number of people caught dealing and trafficking the drug across the five years with 1478, followed by the Waverley LGA at 428 and the Canterbury-Bankstown LGA at 310.

Cocaine use and dealing has increased since 2010.

BOCSAR Executive Director Jackie Fitzgerald told this masthead cocaine dealing and use across NSW had increased considerably since 2010, with the largest spike in dealing detections between 2014 and 2021 and possession detections reaching an all-time peak in 2019.

This has come down slightly in the years since.

She said despite the slight fall in detections of cocaine use and dealing, traces of cocaine in waste water across NSW in the decade to June 2024 did not show a decrease in use.

A likely cause for stable cocaine use but fewer detections in more recent years was due to a shift away from proactive drug detections, and therefore fewer person and vehicle searches than earlier, she said.

Below are some of the people busted dealing and using cocaine in Sydney in the last 18 months.

ANDY ALASHOOTY

North Sydney Bears assistant coach Andy Alashooty was busted with nine bags of cocaine inside a plush Sydney hotel room.

Alashooty was caught on security cameras at The Star Casino selling a bag of cocaine to an unknown person in the early hours of September 30, 2024, during the North Sydney Bears’ Mad Monday celebrations.

Court documents stated police searched the hotel room and found 10 bags of coke weighing a total of 11 grams inside a North Sydney Bears branded backpack with the initials AA printed on it.

When questioned, Alashooty said he hired the hotel room for the team’s end-of-season bash and purchased the drugs as part of the celebration.

Andy Alashooty at court. Picture: Richard Dobson

None of the players were charged with any offences relating to the seizure and The Daily Telegraph does not suggest any of them took any drugs or were even aware of the cocaine being in the room.

Alashooty pleaded guilty to supplying a prohibited drug and knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime, but tried to have the charges dismissed under mental health legislation. This was refused.

Alashooty was sentenced to a two-year community correction order and fined $1500.

He has not appealed his sentence.

BRANDON LLOYD

Head of financial markets at ING bank Brandon Lloyd was caught “red handed” buying cocaine on a night out in Bondi.

The 47-year-old Leichhardt man was allegedly spotted buying cocaine outside the Royal Hotel in Bondi on December 13, 2024, when he got into the front passenger seat of a Volkswagen Golf and exited 20 seconds later.

Police stopped both Lloyd and the driver of the Golf on suspicion of a drug deal, where they located 14 bags of cocaine inside the vehicle.

Brandon Lloyd leaves Waverley Local Court.

Lloyd also confessed to officers he had just paid $700 for two bags of cocaine, which were in his pocket.

Barrister Timothy Lowe told the court his client’s decision that evening was “alcohol-fuelled” and he had since engaged “the best psychologist in the business” to address his alcohol use – which was the “the root cause of the offending”.

He pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a prohibited drug and was sentenced by way of a non-conviction, with a 12 month conditional release order.

He has not appealed the sentence.

BRADLEY MCLEAN

Part owner of Bali hotel the Three Monkeys, Bradley McLean sold heroin and cocaine to customers on Sydney’s northern beaches to fund his own lengthy drug addiction.

McLean, who lives between his Avalon Beach home and his Bali resort the Three Monkeys, near Denpasar, was allegedly busted when police raided his northern beaches home with a drug sniffer dog on April 17, 2024.

They uncovered 31g of cocaine hidden in a bag of sand stored in his garage, as well as six small resealable bags containing 0.3g of heroin, a set of portable scales, gloves, more resealable plastic bags and mobile phones.

A Motorola phone, which contained the encrypted “Threema” messaging app, was also seized and revealed incriminating text messages of McLean selling the drugs.

Bradley McLean, 66, of Avalon, outside Manly Local Court.

His solicitor said McLean lived alone at Avalon Beach, had been suffering with depression, and sold drugs to fund his own addiction.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying a prohibited drug, and one charge of possessing a prohibited drug.

During his sentencing in Manly Local Court, the court heard McLean was attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings three times a week.

He was sentenced to a two year community correction order as well as an intensive correction order, fined $2750, and complete 260 hours of community service.

He has not appealed his sentence.

CHRISTOPHER SOK

Teenage drug dealer Christopher Sok was branded a “wannabe gangster” after he was busted sliding western Sydney cocaine into the eastern suburbs.

The 19-year-old Cabramatta man was brought undone when police noticed a different man acting suspiciously while withdrawing cash from an ATM near Bondi Beach on May 24, 2024, before he got in and out of Sok’s Toyota Camry within a short period of time.

Sok’s car was pulled over nearby, where he confessed to having drugs in the car.

Cabramatta man Christopher Sok leaving Waverley Local Court. Picture: Dylan Arvela

Police then seized 13 reusable bags containing cocaine and weighing 8.3g, as well as a wallet with $600 cash.

Sok had a number of missed calls from unknown numbers during the search, which led police to suspect he was a “dial-a-dealer”.

He pleaded guilty to indictable drug supply and dealing with the proceeds of crime.

He was sentenced in Waverley Local Court to a two-year community correction order and ordered to complete 350 hours of community service.

He has not appealed his sentence.

HARRISON WHITE

Mechanical plumber turned dial-a-dealer Harrison White was busted trying to sell five bags of cocaine to a mate outside the Cronulla Sailing Club.

Police were patrolling the area when they spotted a man leave the club using his phone while waiting for a car, before White pulled up in his Toyota HiLux and the man got into the front passenger seat.

White then continued down to the other end of the cul-de-sac street and parked, where his passenger was seen leaning forward and appearing to sniff his hands before he wiped his nose.

He then left the car and walked back to the club before White began to drive away, but both were stopped by police.

Harrison Edward White, 24, was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Two bags of white powder, weighing 1.2g, were found on the man – who admitted White had sold it to him – while more bags, weighing 2.1g, were found in White’s pants and he told police another $500 was in his car.

He told officers his mate was supposed to buy all five bags, however only took and paid for two.

In court, White’s lawyer noted her client had no criminal history and he made an “unfortunate and regrettable decision to help a friend out”.

White pleaded guilty to selling drugs and was sentenced to a 12-month conditional release order, where he must be of good behaviour and fined $1100.

He has not appealed his sentence.