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Michael Lowe: Oatley pharmacist charged with commercial drug supply, drug driving

A well-known suburban Sydney pharmacist has been caught on the wrong side of the law yet again as he awaits sentencing for his role in a significant drug supply syndicate.

A prominent southern Sydney pharmacist has been caught driving with meth in his system ahead of his sentencing for his role in a major drug supply syndicate.

Michael Lowe, 61, once led a seemingly unremarkable existence, running successful pharmacies in Oatley and Condell Park for decades with an exclusive waterfront address in his property portfolio.

But police discovered Lowe also had a secret criminal life when they brought a major methylamphetamine supply syndicate crashing down in June 2020.

Michael Lowe pictured outside Hornsby Local Court on Thursday.
Michael Lowe pictured outside Hornsby Local Court on Thursday.

Four months after St George police’s Drug Unit first began investigating the alleged supply of ice across Sydney’s south in February, Lowe was one of three people caught up in dramatic raids at three homes and a brothel on June 18 last year.

Officers arrested Lowe at his Oatley address that day, where a subsequent search uncovered a safe beneath his floor containing $200,750 cash.

Lowe was subsequently hit with several drug supply and crime proceeds charges, before months of negotiations resulted in the pharmacist pleading guilty to commercial drug supply and dealing with crime proceeds worth more than $100,000.

The safe found beneath the floor of an Oatley property. Picture: NSW Police
The safe found beneath the floor of an Oatley property. Picture: NSW Police

The Oatley man has reported to police daily since he was granted bail at Central Local Court last June, and is set to be sentenced at Sydney District Court on February 4 next year.

However, almost exactly a year to the day since his initial arrest, Lowe was in strife again after North Shore Highway Patrol discovered him driving with ice in his system.

Agreed police facts tendered to Hornsby Local Court reveal police systems designed to detect suspended drivers picked up Lowe’s vehicle on Help St, Chatswood on June 17.

A roadside drug test picked up methylamphetamine in Lowe’s system, which was later confirmed by a subsequent forensic analysis.

Lowe appeared briefly at Hornsby Local Court on December 8, where he formally pleaded guilty to driving with drugs in his system.

He will be sentenced for that matter on December 16 after he completes the traffic offenders program.

The NSW Crime Commission froze Lowe’s assets shortly after his arrest on drug supply charges.

A vacant deep waterfront lot at an exclusive Kyle Bay address in Lowe’s name was among the assets subject to a caveat when it sold for $6.55 million in September.

Investigators also seized a semiautomatic pistol, $40,000 cash, methylamphetamine, MDMA, GBL and cannabis during the other raids at two Hurstville units and a Caringbah brothel in June 2020.

Four other people – three men and a woman – remain before the courts.

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/st-george-shire/michael-lowe-oatley-pharmacist-charged-with-commercial-drug-supply-drug-driving/news-story/faabf4bfc2f264e3c1e0f5e87462c3ab