Mike Paese pleads guilty to supplying cocaine for drug syndicate Ejays

A young man has admitted he sold and delivered cocaine to customers as part of a drug syndicate in the St George area.

Mike Kelepi Paese, 19, pleaded guilty supplying prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis and participating in a criminal group known as Ejays. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A teenager has admitted to becoming caught up in a dial-a-dealer syndicate where he delivered drugs to customers in the St George area.

Mike Kelepi Paese, 19, pleaded guilty in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday to supplying prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis and participating in a criminal group.

Agreed facts tendered to court said police established Strike force Northrop to investigate the Ejays cocaine syndicate in November 2022.

Investigators discovered the syndicate used a “run phone” where customers would contact the mobile number with an order and a runner would deliver drugs, usually cocaine or MDMA.

Police allege Ejays members of the syndicate would attend a unit in Ramsgate to collect the drugs.

Mike Paese will return to Sutherland Local Court next month to be sentenced for supplying drugs.

Investigators identified Paese as a street-level runner who would receive a small financial reward.

Investigators were surveilling the Ramsgate unit on December 8 last year before they saw Paese parked in a car outside the complex.

A man approached the vehicle’s passenger door and handed Paese 8.9g of cocaine.

Paese then drove off and police arrested the man before Paese was stopped and arrested a short time later.

The documents said Paese, who lives in Bankstown, was cooperative with police and admitted he had drugs in his car.

Paese admitted to supplying drugs on November 22, 26 and 27, with each transaction a quantity of less than 0.8g of cocaine, in exchange for $250.

Paese will be sentenced on April 11.